Online campaign launches to tackle youth loneliness

The campaign sees the launch of support website Lonelynotalone.org, which aims to connect young people using an online replica of the evening’s night sky.

While looking at the image together young people can type or leave voice notes to chat about how loneliness has impacted them.

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The website is aimed at 10- to 25-year-olds and has been created through the Co-op Foundation’s Lonely Not Alone campaign to tackle youth loneliness.

Take a step into the #LonelyNotAlone universe. Find out what it means to be young and lonely.

— Lonely Not Alone (@lonelynotalone) October 14, 2021

According to research released by the foundation in September there are currently 1.9m “chronically lonely young people in the UK”, which is 400,000 more than in August 2020.

Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns, home working and home studying are among factors in this increase, according to the foundation.

It has revealed further research this week into loneliness, which found that 46 per cent of 10- to 25-year-olds said that if they could go to school or their workplace more often they would feel less lonely.

Some 44 per cent said that doing school and remote work at home had made them feel lonelier.

“The past 18 months have been a challenging time for everyone, but for many young people, they’ve felt like their lives have been put on hold, making connections hard to create and maintain,” said Co-op Foundation chief executive Nick Crofts.

Further research by the foundation has found that 60 per cent of young people who are impacted by loneliness agree that talking about their feelings is easier to do online than in person.

Meanwhile, 64 per cent say helping other people makes them feel less lonely.

The Lonely Not Alone website has been co-designed by young people, including 21-year-old Helen, who said: “Loneliness is actually a common and natural human experience. I’ve definitely had times in my life when I’ve been lonely, but it comes and goes. Loneliness doesn’t last forever.

“It’s really important that we start to normalise talking about loneliness. I hope that through this year’s Lonely Not Alone campaign, young people can learn that other people feel the exact same way they do, and putting it into words, or talking about it can help.”

Among those to welcome the campaign is newly appointed civil society and youth minister Nigel Huddleston.

He said: “As we continue our recovery from the pandemic, it's vital to understand that for many people, loneliness will not simply go away.

“That's why I'm clear that we will learn from the experience of lockdown and continue our important work to tackle loneliness.

“I'm very impressed by the launch of the Co-op Foundation’s innovative and engaging digital platform, and I'm extremely confident that it will help a lot of young people realise that they are not alone.”