Nearly half of young people experience difficulty in making new friends.
Loneliness is often associated with old age and retirement, but new YouGov research reveals that young Britons are much more likely to suffer from long-term loneliness than their elders.
Nearly nine in ten (88%) Britons aged from 18 to 24 say they experience loneliness to some degree, with a quarter (24%) suffering often and 7% saying they are lonely all of the time.
In comparison, 70% of those aged over 55 also say they can be lonely to some extent, however, only 7% are lonely often and just 2% say they are lonely all the time.
Despite this, a recent YouGov story revealed that some nearly one in five Britons (18%) aged over 55 say they haven’t made a new friend in the last six years.
Younger Britons also say they find it hard to make friends, with almost half (46%) of adults aged from 18 to 24 saying they experience some difficultly in making new friends, compared to 38% of the general population. Only 28% of Britons aged 55 or over said they find making new friends difficult.
When asked why they found it hard to make new friends, 80% of Britons aged from 18 to 24 who experience difficulty in making new friends say shyness is a major factor, compared to 43% of adults over the age of 55.
A third (32%) of young adults who struggle to make new friends also think that not having the type of hobbies or interests which help forge new friendships is an issue, as well as lack of nearby people they would wish to be friends with.
Image: Getty
