Making new friends costs money, but it's worth it

It might seem easier and cheaper to stay home watching Netflix, but you need to get out more to feel less lonely.

- Erin Lowry

Loneliness and social isolation are often discussed as afflictions of the ageing process. Adult children move away, spouses and friends begin to die, and suddenly older people can find themselves spending an inordinate amount of time alone. The sense of isolation can have severe consequences for well-being. Studies have found that social isolation increases the odds of developing hypertension and dementia, and even shortens lifespans.

Except, it isn't only the ageing population that is at high risk for loneliness. American youth aged 15 to 24 spend 70 per cent less time in person with friends than the same age group did 20 years ago, according to an alarming finding from a 2024 report by US Surgeon-General Vivek Murthy warning of the growing toll of loneliness in America.

These Gen Zers grew up communicating on smartphones and were already showing signs of decreased in-person interactions before Covid-19 hit. By the time the pandemic waned, many people had got out of the habit of meeting up in real life and felt content with digital relationships.

Meeting others in person is vital, as the surgeon-general's report made clear. It also requires commitment of time, energy and, inevitably, money, whether for meals out, entertainment or other shared experiences.