The Elderly aren't Alone in Loneliness

We are all aware of the rising issue across the world of loneliness, particularly amongst the older generation. However, I can guarantee that you, a young individual with the rest of your life ahead of you, have felt lonely at some point in your lifetime. Here, we investigate loneliness and the indiscriminate power it holds regardless of age.

Loneliness. It’s a word we often associate with the elderly. I don’t know about you but when I think of loneliness, an image comes into my mind of an elderly man sitting in his armchair, gazing out the window whilst the hustle and bustle of the outside world carries on without him. As a widow, and with grown-up children all leading busy lives of their own, the man is left on his own with his only contact being through a television screen.

Another image comes to my mind. An 18-year-old girl, fresh out of school and thrown into the next chapter of her life – University. With big plans and big ideas for everything she’s going to do and everyone’s she’s going to meet; she was eager to leave home and explore something new. But as she looks up from her desk, where she’s been sat for the last few hours, watching endless YouTube videos just to pass the time, she feels isolated and alone. Her flatmates are only just beyond the four walls around her. Her friends from back home are only a message away. Yet, despite all this, she feels trapped. She feels lonely.

You see, that 18-year-old girl was not only me but she is also an example of a wider problem that is happening across the world. Loneliness amongst young adults is growing and is a concerning problem. Last year, a survey conducted by YouGov of more than 2,000 UK adults, found that 31% of 18 to 24-year-olds said they felt lonely often or all the time, compared to 17% of over 55s. The evidence speaks for itself. Young adults are feeling lonelier than our older generations. It may be hard to understand why such a digitally social and accessible generation is feeling such a burden of loneliness, but I for one understand and I am certain that a young person you know, or yourself, have experienced these feelings of loneliness more recently than you might think.

Research conducted by Smile found that 72% of participants experience some frequency of loneliness on average compared to 28% who never experience those feelings. This highlights the concern that such a large percentage of us experience loneliness. Of the 72% who said they experience some frequency of loneliness, just over a third were aged from 10 to 30 years old. Only 16% were of an age, typically associated with loneliness, of 61-80. This research echoes a similar message that previous research has found - our younger generations are feeling the impact of loneliness more than our older generations.

There is good news for older generations, where strategies have been put in place by authorities and charities such as the NHS and AgeUK. These strategies include befriending services, transport links, social activities, day centres, lunch clubs and IT training to help give older people access to the internet to connect with family and friends digitally. However, schemes for our younger generations aren’t quite as evident. Throughout my first year at University, I knew I was surrounded by an abundance of clubs, societies and groups that I could get involved with. I did try. I pushed myself to get involved and try something new, but it just wasn’t for me. I was fortunate enough to have an understanding family around me and professional help available, allowing me to discuss my worries but I know the story isn’t the same for other members of my generation.

Loneliness can not only affect our current feelings but also has a knock-on effect on our future. Research by Young Women’s Trust, a charity that supports young women on low or no pay, found that feeling isolated can not only impact a young woman’s confidence and their mental health but combined with lack of networks, can also have a negative impact on an individual finding work and can ultimately lead to young women being shut out of the working world.

Loneliness is something that not only affects the older generation. You can be lonely yet be surrounded by all your friends and family. Loneliness affects us all, but it is the younger generation who are seriously struggling with its impact.

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