Loneliest Generation

Students I have interviewed across the country fear that if they are not constantly busy studying or attending meetings, something must be wrong with them, their schedule or their work ethic. These new norms of stress culture translate to fewer opportunities to let their conversations and minds wander. If anything, many young adults turn to the screen because they feel it’s the only authorized recreation in a culture of constant work. You don’t have to leave your library carrel to scroll through Instagram or take a BuzzFeed quiz.

But why not go to the gym or call a friend? Students tell me that “everyone is working harder than I am” and “I can’t stop,” erroneous beliefs fueled by a sense of personal inadequacy, which fuels their isolation.

“I can’t have downtime,” one college sophomore told me. “I feel like I’m doing something wrong if I’m not doing anything.”

Constant busyness takes a toll not only on the quality of relationships, but also on the skills young adults use to forge them. To walk into a dorm living room where you know only one other person, make small talk with people at a party, connect spontaneously with a stranger in an orientation group — this comes naturally to only very few. Skills are like muscles: They need to be flexed repeatedly. Friend-making skills atrophy from underuse.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/parenting/wp/2018/05/03/why-are-young-adults-the-loneliest-generation-in-america/?utm_term=.e0830a2ff1cd