You’ve heard about the loneliness epidemic – with society becoming increasingly digital and isolated, we’re all seeing (and maybe feeling!) the effects of loneliness in our communities. The U.S. Surgeon General even released a report announcing that loneliness is a major threat with a negative health impact similar to smoking fifteen cigarettes a day. Teens are particularly impacted by this epidemic of loneliness due to their dependence on social media.
The book The Anxious Generation explores the issue of loneliness in young adults, and argues that it is caused by the following:
- Social deprivation: Since 2012, the amount of time teens spend with friends in person has dropped by 50%
- Sleep deprivation: Teens don’t get enough sleep, and this problem is made worse by screen time
- Attention fragmentation: Dependence on phones and their notifications has shortened users’ attention spans
- Addiction: Smartphones and social media use cause small releases of dopamine, which leads to addiction
The combination of social media, phone use, and isolation has created a loneliness epidemic in teens.
What can parents do?
Parents have several tools and methods they can use to help their teens overcome loneliness and isolation. The U.S. Surgeon General recommends:
“Encourage healthy social connection with peers by supporting individual friendships, as well as participation in structured activities such as volunteering, sports, community activities, and mentorship programs.”
Similarly, The Anxious Generation lays out six practices that combat loneliness in teens:
- Shared sacredness: Have your teen participate in a group that is “organized for a moral, charitable, or spiritual purpose”
- Embodiment: Engage your teen in a physical ritual like eating together, praying together, or doing activities in a group
- Stillness, silence, and focus: Meditation, prayer, or another type of screen-free quiet time
- Self-transcendence: Encourage your teen to sacrifice for a larger cause, which can look like donating or volunteering
- Less judgment, more forgiveness: Embody the scriptural teaching of loving your enemies
- Find awe in nature: Spend time outside enjoying nature on a walk, sitting at the beach, or enjoying the shade on a sunny day
Where can you find all these ideas in practice? At a Camp Arcadia Teen Retreat! Your teen is invited to be part of a “no screens” community for a week, connecting and engaging with mentors and friends. Activities like Vespers and Bible Study fit the criteria for Embodiment and Shared Sacredness, Reflection Time offers an opportunity for Stillness, Team Challenge encourages Self-transcendence, and this is all done while enjoying nature. Sign your teen up for our Teen Retreats and give them the tools to combat loneliness in healthy and sustainable ways.
