Gen Z is the loneliest generation. Here's what can help

We are much connected than ever before, with our high-speed internet, pinging smartphones and ever-updating apps and societal media networks. (iPhone 17e, anyone?!)

And yet, we are besides lonelier than ever, particularly younger generations who are adjacent much apt to beryllium connected their integer devices for longer periods of time. Gen Z, it turns out, is the loneliest procreation of them all, according to the 2025 Cigna Group study “Loneliness successful America.” It recovered that 67% of Gen Zers reported being lonely (65% of millennials, who besides grew up with integer technologies, did arsenic well, arsenic compared with 60% of Gen Xers and 44% of babe boomers).

What’s more, astir 1 successful 5 teenagers ages 13 to 17 experiences precocious rates of loneliness, according to a World Health Organization’s 2025 report; and according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 40% of precocious schoolhouse students reported “persistent feelings of sadness and hopelessness” successful 2023.

Dr. Shairi Turner, main wellness serviceman of the nonprofit Crisis Text Line — a free, 24-7 text-based intelligence wellness work — calls it “a nationalist wellness crisis” that is particularly affecting Gen Z for a reason.

“They’re 14-29 now, truthful they’re integer natives, precise comfy with being connected to radical by phone,” she says. “But that transportation isn’t a replacement for quality connection. It gives the illusion of being close, but without existent interpersonal interaction.”

That’s compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic and accrued azygous genitor households, she says.

“This is simply a procreation that lived done the pandemic during immoderate cardinal developmental years — immoderate of their formative years whitethorn person been successful lockdown, utilizing smartphones, [instead of] processing captious societal skills,” Turner says. “And Gen Z is much apt to person been raised successful single-parent households, and whitethorn person travel location to an bare location wherever 1 genitor was moving oregon they were going backmost and distant betwixt homes.”

So wherever to spell from here? Note the informing signs, Turner says.

“Is your kid spending much clip with their telephone than their friends?” she says. “Are your kids coming location upset astir interactions astatine schoolhouse oregon with their friends much times than not? And: Are they avoiding in-person extracurricular activities similar sports oregon clubs? These are each things to look retired for.”

Here are Turner’s apical 3 tips for helping your Gen Z kids header with loneliness.

Be contiguous and prosecute successful progressive listening. “Give them the abstraction to stock their feelings. Just beryllium contiguous and perceive to your kid — don’t enactment words successful their mouth. Create that harmless abstraction truthful they cognize they tin stock with you that they’re feeling lonely. Ask open-ended questions. Instead of saying ‘did you person a bully day?’ wherever they tin accidental ‘yes’ oregon ‘no,’ inquire a question that elicits more: ‘What did you bash contiguous that you enjoyed?’ Or: ‘Is determination thing you recovered challenging today?’ Brainstorm with them options oregon ways that they could person handled a concern differently; oregon bash immoderate relation playing with your child, truthful they consciousness prepared the adjacent day.”

Plan outdoor societal activities. “That tin beryllium with your kid oregon with your kid and their friends. Connect successful a low-pressure way: ‘Let’s bring immoderate kids implicit and spell to the park.’ Plan thing astir a shared interest, similar shot oregon baseball, wherever they’re enjoying the athletics unneurotic and they don’t person to beryllium and speech successful a high-pressure mode — they tin conscionable person fun. Our study connected young radical successful situation shows that outdoor 3rd abstraction areas — parks and recreation — assistance young radical header with their intelligence health. These aforesaid young radical identified sports and opportunities for societal transportation arsenic adjuvant to their intelligence wellness and well-being.”

Explore intelligence wellness resources: “Know what the schoolhouse resources are, what’s available, before your kid needs intelligence wellness support. Are determination counselors, schoolhouse psychologists? What’s the bevy of resources successful schoolhouse oregon successful the assemblage if my kid is successful request — therapists, section enactment groups? Our Crisis Text Line is large due to the fact that it’s connected the telephone and astir young radical are comfy with that and they tin substance our volunteers and it’s confidential. It’s astir being prepared and aware.”

Ultimately, Turner says, young radical are resilient — their brains are inactive increasing — and intentional parenting goes a agelong mode toward offsetting the effects of integer devices and societal media.

“It’s ne'er excessively precocious to promote — and exemplary — affirmative interpersonal skills,” Turner says. “Meaning: quality to quality connection.”