The Loneliness Problem

How many of you are below the ages of 20? A lot I assume, now how many of you feel like it’s not enough, something is missing, life just ain’t how it used to be? Well you’re not alone in that thought. 

A certain statistic says that one in four young people from the ages of 18-14 feel lonely. Now that could be for a variety of reasons, depression, bullying, family problems or anything else, but if you are like me you have probably heard adults say it’s the phone. The internet, social media, self isolation that’s the problem. Yet they don’t really see the big picture.

Third places, is really where I think this problem stems from, or lack there of. Third places in my own definition is ‘a place or community outside of home, work, or school’ this could mean an afterschool club, the gym, a friends house etc. Now the issue isn’t these places themselves in fact third places are very beneficial to form communities and relationships with other people. No the real problem is that in this new age there is a declining number in those places. 

Often people will say, ‘oh just join a sport’ when not everyone is physically capable or interested. Or ‘just get out more’ while that is a good statement the question is ‘where do I go?’ 

Society has seen a shift regarding the new age, excluding young people. Malls which are the usually weekend spot for gen Z and now gen alpha has seen a youth detox over the years with now polices for teen chaperones for the mall. Or the overall exclusion and judgment of kids who just want to have fun. With that a simple teen who just wants to hang out somewhere has to spend upwards of 40$ - 100$ to simply have fun. Whether they have a car or not. 

This makes things incredibly harder to find things to do. To get out is becoming more of a challenge. That is not a good thing. I mentioned in my previous blog that I’m in need of something to do with my time. That was what got me to research this topic. 

Adults are being more catered to, with cafes and restaurants being more accessible to them less than teens who would enjoy places like that more. Not to say that adults should get less because of that. If a teen would want to hang out in a restaurant or a cafe in certain cases they would be pestered to buy something before leaving or even entering the store. While teens don’t have disposable income to do so. While some could argue that they need to go out in nature is a fair statement it doesn’t apply to everyone. Not everyone loves the outdoors or has a wilderness in their backyard. Most can’t even afford to leave their state. 

I’m aware this all sounds sad and depressing but it’s the truth. Kids in middle to lower class families have an even harder time to get out and do things. Jobs are another thing, while yes it’s good to get a job and make money for yourself, but balancing work, school and life is an overall very hard thing to do. And adults say we should get off our phones, when that is the only thing acceptable and accessible to connect ourselves to the outside world. The world has been conditioned to become a breeding ground for online life. What I’m trying to say is that there is nothing to do anywhere anymore. What should be done about it? I’m not sure I just thought it be good to shed light on the issue. 

Thank you for supporting me and reading my blog! 

Here is a great videos on this topic if you want to delve more: 

The Loss of Third Places

third places, Stanley cup mania, and the epidemic of loneliness