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APPILY EVER AFTER?
The Independent|January 03, 2023
As the loneliness epidemic continues, Olivia Petter discovers how online friendship apps became the go-to for millennials
- Olivia Petter
APPILY EVER AFTER?

Lily was 26 when she realised every one of her close friends was in a serious relationship. "They were all at a different stage of life to me," she recalls, two years later. "Even though I never felt like a third wheel, I wanted to branch out and meet new people."

To do this, Lily did what many people her age do when they want something: she went online. "I downloaded Bumble BFF. It took me a while to click with someone, but eventually I met Ria - we had similar interests, approaches to relationships, and mental health journeys. She was also single, which made a difference. Now, she's one of my closest friends."

Rewind five years or so, and a story like Lily's would sound shocking. Bizarre, even. Sure, we'd adapted to meeting romantic partners online, although even that carried a social stigma. But friends? Aren't you supposed to find them in real life? And shouldn't you have enough already?

Not exactly. In 2021, one Australian report dubbed millennials and Gen Z the loneliest generations, with one in two Gen Z-ers (54 percent) and millennials (51 percent) reporting that they regularly feel lonely - figures that were much higher compared to those of other generations. Meanwhile, in 2019, YouGov found that 30 percent of millennials "always" or "often" felt lonely, while nearly one in four couldn't name a single friend.

These stats may come as a surprise to some, particularly those who assume that, having grown up in the age of social media, millennials and Gen Z-ers would have more friends than the generations that came before them. We're surrounded by constant communication, whether it's on WhatsApp and iMessage or Instagram and Twitter. Other people are only ever a few taps and swipes away. But evidently, that doesn't always translate to offline connections.

Denne historien er fra January 03, 2023-utgaven av The Independent.

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Denne historien er fra January 03, 2023-utgaven av The Independent.

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