Why Are More Young Australians Feeling So Lonely? A Closer Look at the ‘Call for Connection’ Report

Unfortunately, loneliness isn’t just a fleeting feeling for many young Australians. More and more it’s becoming a persistent and expected part of their daily lives. This worrying issue was highlighted in a recent episode of the SBS podcast News In Depth, which featured comments from Associate Professor Michelle Lim, the Chief Executive and Scientific Chair of Ending Loneliness Together. Lim’s quotes referenced findings from the organisation’s latest report, A Call for Connection, revealing some alarming statistics that simply must make us all stop and listen.

According to the report, one in seven young Australians are right now experiencing persistent loneliness, while 43 percent of people aged 15 to 25 say they often feel lonely. These figures were released during Loneliness Awareness Week, which runs from August 4th–10th, to shine a spotlight on a problem that quietly affects nearly half of our youth population.

What’s Behind the Rising Tide of Loneliness?

Regrettably, statistics relating to loneliness may not garner the same attention or provoke the reactions that other issues might. Yet many, if not most, of us have felt lonely at some point, with the isolation brought on by COVID-19 coming quickly to mind. But this data suggests something deeper, something more concerning, that is going on: a structural shift in how young people connect and relate to the world around them.

So, what could be some of the factors that may help explain why loneliness has taken such a strong hold?

1. The Digital Paradox

Today we live in the most digitally connected era in history, but that reality is in truth a paradox. Social media and messaging apps promise constant connection, yet for many these platforms only amplify feelings of exclusion or superficial interaction.

Curated feeds showcasing the highlight reels of others’ lives can leave young people feeling inadequate or like they’re missing out. Meanwhile, a worrying number attempt to use the online space as a substitute for authentic, in-person interactions. Instead of fostering genuine community, the digital world can sometimes deepen emotional isolation. It seems no wonder, then, that many friendships maintained primarily online can seem somewhat hollow, or leave us wanting a deeper level of interaction.

2. Changing Social Norms and Increased Pressure

Today’s youth juggle a plentiful selection of intense pressures, from academic and career expectations to social and environmental anxieties. For many, this stress is a signal to retreat inward, making authentic social engagement even rarer and more difficult.

Moreover, the norms around socialising have shifted dramatically compared even to ten years ago. Casual hangouts have been replaced by scheduled events or online connection, which simply cannot fulfil the same emotional needs in isolation.

3. Fragmented Communities and Reduced Interaction

It seems that today, traditional community structures like local clubs, neighbourhoods, and faith groups, once reliable social anchors, are less central in many young people’s lives. These institutions once provided consistent spaces that fostered the formation of organic friendships, offering social support and a shared sense of belonging. However, in today’s society, participation in many such groups has declined, especially among the youth. This has led to a fragmentation where young people find themselves with fewer readily-accessible places to build those meaningful connections which are so vital.

Why Does This Matter and What Can Be Done?

Loneliness isn’t just about feeling sad or bored. It’s a significant public health issue and cannot be dismissed as anything else. Persistent loneliness has been linked to depression, anxiety, and physical health problems.

Understanding the specific experience of young Australians is crucial. Like any generations, and perhaps even more-so, today’s youth face a truly unique set of challenges. Solutions that worked before may be less effective, or even impossible, today.

That’s where initiatives like Ending Loneliness Together and research groups like ours play a vital role:

• Listening to Youth Voices: Surveys and reports give young people a platform to share what connection means to them today, not what their elders say it means.

• Informing Policy and Programs: Data-backed insights can help governments and organisations design better mental health supports, social programs, and educational interventions.

From Awareness to Action

We have to listen, and to act.

Loneliness among young Australians isn’t just an individual struggle, or a minor issue that can continue to be swept beneath the carpet. Plainly and simply, it’s a societal challenge that quietly but firmly demands our collective attention. The A Call for Connection report and the voices of experts like Michelle Lim bring much-needed awareness, but now we have to choose to listen, and to act. This means not just words, but genuine, meaningful, actions. It means policymakers, educators, the media, and whole communities stepping up, creating and reinvigorating spaces where communities can thrive beyond surface-level or manufactured engagement. Most importantly of all, it means valuing young people’s voices and opinions in these conversations and processes that so potently impact them.