A new study suggests there's a rise in young people who can't afford to be sociable.
A survey of 2,000 people aged between 10 and 25 by the Co-op’s charity, the Co-op Foundation, found that 95% said they felt lonely, a 6% increase in the past 12 months. The Co-op Foundation aims to help young people improve their mental wellbeing.
Over half (55%) of respondents said that not having enough money to take part in activities was impacting how they felt. The Co-op Foundation said that the findings in the study raised concerns about the cost-of-living crisis as young people struggle for financial stability.
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Two thirds of lonely young people said feeling lonely makes them lose confidence in themselves, and only one in four respondents said they believe youth loneliness is treated seriously by society. The Co-op stepped up its Lonely Not Alone campaign aimed at helping young people share stories of loneliness.
However, the study also found young people were stepping up to help others more than ever, with 83% of young people saying they’ve now taken an action to help friends when they feel lonely, a 9% increase from 2020. In addition, 59% of lonely young people say loneliness makes them more likely to want to help others
Nick Crofts, chief executive of the Co-op Foundation, said: “The cost-of-living crisis is another blow to young people who’ve had to overcome so much over the past two years. Young people will need help from parents, guardians, teachers and employers alike as the UK tightens the purse strings through a difficult winter.
“I hope the Lonely Not Alone digital universe can be an added source of support to help boost youth mental wellbeing in communities and tackle loneliness. Young people might be lonely, but they’re not alone.”
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