Generation Z is experiencing a new epidemic, and it’s not CO-VID or the Flu: It’s social isolation.
In 2023, the United States Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, issued an advisory on the epidemic of social isolation and loneliness. With a majority of college students being part of Gen Z, it begs the question, why is loneliness and isolation so prominent in young adults?
Florida International University college student Will Nicolas Jean-Baptiste shares his experience with loneliness and his transition into college in the later part of the Covid pandemic.
“When I transferred to FIU as a junior, CO-VID happened in 2020 so I experienced having to be at home . . . and a lot of my friends experienced that too,” said Jean-Baptiste. “But I felt like we were able to help each other out with that.”
To combat this epidemic, the surgeon Dr. Murthy’s advisory lays out a national strategy to promote social connection which includes strengthening social infrastructure, enacting pro-connection public policies, mobilizing the health sector, reforming digital environments, deepening our knowledge, and cultivating a culture of connection.
