Loneliness does not discriminate based on sex, race, ethnicity, or even age. Individuals in every category are, to some extent, afflicted with it.

Recently, there has been a flurry of studies and articles on the effect of loneliness on the elderly. Some are now even speculating that, during the Covid-19 pandemic, a not-insignificant number of elderly people probably died because of the isolating effects of lockdowns and social distancing, rather than the virus itself.

The devastating effects of loneliness on the middle-aged population are much less reported on. Last year, Arizona State University psychology professor Frank Infurna and colleagues found that, shockingly, middle-aged Americans were markedly lonelier than their European counterparts.

But it’s not just the elderly and the middle-aged who are suffering in isolation. Gen Z is as well. According to a new study released by Pew Research Center, “adults under 50 are more likely than older adults to feel lonely.” Twenty-four percent of Americans ages 18–29 said they feel “lonely or isolated from those around them all or most of the time,” compared with 20 percent of Americans ages 30–49, 11 percent ages 50–64, and just 6 percent ages 65 and up.

These results are surprising. Most of the recent coverage of the loneliness epidemic has focused on the elderly. This was especially true during the holiday season, since many older people whose loved ones have died find themselves alone on Christmas Day.

One might think that, since young people today live in a fantastically interconnected world, human connection would be easier to facilitate than ever before. But, alas, Gen Z has found itself alone together.

The Pew study also found that only 48 percent of Americans said they “feel optimistic about their life all or most of the time,” compared with 67 percent of those ages 65 and up.

Young people desperately need to belong to something bigger than themselves. To find that something, young people can be guided by questions like “What is it that I enjoy doing?” and “What am I passionate about?” There are — especially these days, thanks to social media apps like Meetup — groups for everything.

There isn’t an easy way out of it. To create community, you have to be open and you have to be vulnerable.