News Beat
Gen Z Share How They Make Friends In A Loneliness Epidemic
According to an Oxfam poll, loneliness doens’t just affect older generations – almost half (47%) of Gen Z, or those born between around 1997-2012, say they often feel lonely.
In fact, according to their data, Gen Z were the loneliest generation of them all.
49% of those asked said the trend was down to a lack of social opportunity. So I was intrigued to read the responses to a post shared to r/GenZ, which asked other forum members to share “How tf to make friends”.
“I barely have any friends, and I commute to college so I don’t get the same social opportunities, and I don’t have a job ATM,” u/Shot_Veterinarian215 wrote.
“And I know lots of people meet online, but how are you supposed to turn that into an actual in-person connection and friendship?”
Here are some of the top responses:
1) “Don’t discount people older than you as potential friends.”
“The coolest people I know have always been older than me. Commonalities transcend generations. You probably have more in common than you realise.
“My most recent community of friends has been older people that I have connected with while regularly going to my local dog park.”
2) “All of my friends that I didn’t meet during my education, I met while participating in my hobbies.”
“I’ve found that a large part of friendship is mutual admiration, and it can be as simple as through hobbies,” u/Who_am_i_to_say_so agreed.
3) “You have to talk to people.”
“For an introvert like me, it’s an absolute nightmare, but that’s really what it is. Starting conversations based on small interactions.
“Becoming a regular at places also helps – like gyms, dog parks, and coffee shops. Join clubs, community theatre, sports, a pottery studio, etc. Go to meetups, community events, and free things.
“It comes very naturally to some people, and for others it has to be a very intentional process.”
4) “Other than school, I’ve made some amazing friends at my local farmers market of all places.”
Credit: u/Over-Transition9609
5) “I made dozens of friends in the local running community.”
“A few more at wine tastings. A couple I met in the grocery store.”
Credit: Vivid-Kitchen1917
