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Hello and welcome to BeyondAI. My name is Tom Parish.
Today I am talking with Patricia Belleno Licensed Professional Counselor Supervisor (LPC-S) and a Master Certified Integrative Life Coach.
Do you feel like you basically LIVE ONLINE?
We’re going to explore the rising issue of loneliness and though the initial part of the conversation focuses on Gen Z, I have a feeling every generation past and present is dealing with this issue. This all seems so ironic when you think of how hyper-connected we are, yet, something is amiss.
In Psychology Today by Ryan Jenkins CSP he discusses how isolated and lonely The Gen Z generation feels. As I said, I have a hunch that regardless of what generation you’re from and despite our ability to be instantly socially connected 24/7 – many of us feel – lonely.
Ryan’s article focuses on record high levels of loneliness in the Gen Z generation and he these three key points.
- Seventy-three percent of Gen Z report they feel alone either sometimes or always.
- Seventy-two percent of Gen Z workers say they want to communicate with managers in person, while most managers think they prefer instant messages.
- Reversing the loneliness trend in Gen Z requires addressing contributors such as overstimulation which leaves less time to connect.
Additionally:
In another article “Conversations with Five Gen Zs” REX WOODBURY in The DigitalNation substack newsletter Rex writes:
“I was chatting recently with an entrepreneur building for Gen Z, and she said something interesting: “Gen Z’s brains are browsers with a million tabs open.” Her point was that Gen Zs are exposed to information overload, constantly flooded with peer pressure and comparison, and FOMO. Overflowing filing cabinets. “Escapism,” the entrepreneur continued, “This isn’t just for fun—it’s for survival.”
Listen to this relaxed engaging conversation from a therapist’s point of view on loneliness and how we can be our own first responder to find our happiness and a belief in ourselves.
You can reach Patrica at Patricia Belleno, MS, LPC-S