Gen Z and Millennials are experiencing feelings of loneliness more than previous generations. According to Telstra’s Talking Loneliness report, more than half of both Gen Z and Millennials report that they feel regularly lonely, and Gen Z is more likely to say they feel too embarrassed to admit that they feel lonely to others. The pandemic has (no doubt) exacerbated these young gens’ feelings, and while social media and internet communities have helped fuel connections for Gen Z and Millennials, young people’s social belonging hasn’t quite returned to normal. Psychologist Nancy Sokarno notes that the resurgence into public life may exacerbate the problem as people start sharing about their social lives online, causing others to compare their situation when it doesn’t quite look the same way as their peers’. YPulse research shows that not being able to see friends/family in-person has significantly affected Gen Z and Millennials’ mental health this past year, and young people’s definition of “normal” is constantly changing as they continue navigating life in the middle of a pandemic. (Refinery29)
