About 6 weeks ago, I shared a bit about my thoughts on loneliness in 2024 (here). Whilst, today, I have come to y’all again with some additional ramblings on loneliness in 2024. I will note that today’s additional words of mine have been apart of some ongoing conversations and content seen/watched on social media that have since become reflections in my head that I’ll be sharing today.
Before I get into the meat of my own ramblings on loneliness in 2024, I wanted to preface that I do see some potential solutions and hope to come from the ongoing loneliness that many of us feel these days. Even *yes, even* if we are getting out and about and find community with our friends and family, I still think that today’s world and climate of wanting to keep to ourselves more than embracing the company of others triggers a sort of feeling of loneliness that each of us feels at least to some extent. This post may come across as my own thoughts and reflections on what I find to cause major negative impacts to all of our mental and physical wellbeing’s. Yet, I still do firmly believe that there IS hope for our future I see. But, I think that it will take some collective effort on all of our parts to make it happen. In the next couple of weeks/months, I will begin to share more ways that I think we can embrace community into 2025 and beyond.
Like I said in my previous ramblings on loneliness in 2024 blog post, I think that the COVID-19 pandemic has ignited this loneliness epidemic which many of us are affected by (whether or not we realize it). Specifically speaking, I feel that younger generations who were students during the pandemic have lost a lot of social interactions which in turn has made them more prone to being severely impacted by the loneliness epidemic (not saying that other older generations haven’t felt the impact either though). For instance, I have seen multiple YouTube videos and Instagram Reels and TikTok’s emphasizing how GenZ specifically is super uncomfortable in social situations, doesn’t want to socialize/be around people, and is rather “doomed” when it comes to dating and making friends. GenZers themselves have also expressed that they feel as if they have a hard time making friends, no friends at all, and have experienced loneliness in high doses. Speaking from personal experience as someone apart of GenZ, I spent a quarter of my Junior year of college and the entirety of my Senior year of college cooped up in my bedroom at my desk as a fellow student of “Zoom University”. Luckily, I had friends established before COVID-19 began that I would hang out with in my college apartment, over FaceTime and Zoom calls, and even doing outdoor activities to lessen the screen time and increase my personal time. However, if I had started college in the Fall of 2019 or the Fall of 2020 or even the Fall of 2018, I would have been in a much different situation when it came to college friendships. Now, as the classes of 2018-2020 have mostly graduated from college and entered into the workforce, many recent graduates are leaving college with little to no friendships and consequentially entering the workforce feeling lonely and fearful to socialize.
COVID-19 drastically affected the socialization of younger generations for the worse. Many “Zoom University” students have had a few years under their belt without socializing with others. Hence, the lack of comfortability that many of us feel with talking to others and feeling much more comfortable tending to ourselves. Alongside spending time at home tied to our desks and without face-to-face time, loneliness has become some sort of a rather comfort. The comfort of staying at home feels better than striving to put ourselves out there and face the fears we may have of being rejected, awkward conversations, and simply putting ourselves out there.
Like the younger generations, I feel that all generations feel less likely to put themselves out there beyond their daily duties and responsibilities. Even as I’ve previously stated in my last blog post, when walking my dog Rosie, other dog owners are less likely to embrace socializing with others dogs and their owners. In fact, I’ve become happily surprised whenever somebody does socialize with me and Rosie while we’re walking. And, I feel this same lack of socialization has contributed to the lack of community that we feel on a daily basis. We’re less likely to smile when passing by people on the streets, to greet and strike up a conversation with the baristas at our local cafes, and take part in little side conversations with those around us.
At the same time though, I think it’s vital to our mental and physical wellbeing’s to socialize with people, but also have some time to recharge on our own. Sometimes, we’re not in a social mood and that is OKAY. There needs to be a balance to the time we spend with others but also with ourselves and perhaps our pets who need socialization too. I do also find a major benefit to the world that we live in technologically to stay connected to and make friends with people from all across the world. My blogging platform via Instagram has brought me some of my best friends whom I have since met in real life. I have seen the same type of friendships happen for some of my friends in fandoms for an artist, brand, etc. Virtual connections can lead to some of THE BEST in real life connections whom become long distance best friends (like some of my many college and childhood friends, too!). ALSO, virtual connections can become great friendships that remain virtual, too. Through it all though, down time and virtual connections are beneficial in the long run, regardless of if we feel loneliness at an all-time high.
At the end of the day, I firmly believe that while there are some not so great affects of the COVID-19 pandemic to our social lives hence igniting the loneliness in 2024 (and beyond) epidemic on a whole other level, there is also a major shift in our communities. Rather, there are some struggles that many of us face as it pertains to loneliness day in and day out, but these struggles will furthermore lead into a cultural shift in how we view community and how community is viewed. And, hopefully moving forward, we can perhaps establish more connections with our neighbors and those around us and maybe give some homemade chicken noodle soup when others need it most alongside some welcome baked goods to the newbie around town. I remain hopeful through it all that we’ll come out stronger than ever before and find new ways to bring communities to ourselves and with those around us, too.
XOXO – Katie <3
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