Loneliness has reached epidemic levels, with one in two adults reporting that they experience this feeling, according to the US Surgeon General.
A report published by the Surgeon General in 2023 stated that loneliness can have serious effects on a person’s physical and mental health, increasing the risk of heart disease, dementia, stroke, depression, anxiety and premature death.
A number of factors contribute to feelings of isolation in teenagers, according to Alexandra Rodman, a clinical psychologist who studies the social world of teenagers and is an assistant professor of psychology at Northeastern.
Many are quick to blame technology, but Rodman’s research found that the time young people spend on their phones can be beneficial if they use it for direct communication, which can lead to real relationships.
What’s harmful is when technology contributes to their sense of isolation, she continued. For example, “simply scrolling through content” will feel social, but isn’t really as useful or fulfilling as in-person interactions.
“Maybe it feels easier to do something online than in person, where there’s more uncertainty,” she told Northeast Global News. “Personally, we cannot simply turn off our phones and leave the situation.”
Her advice for combating this? Engage in “social risk-taking” and meet others in person, she said.
Northeastern University offers plenty of opportunities to do just that through its annual Wellness Week, which offers activities like turning second-hand jeans into a yoga mat carrier or enjoying steaming bowls of Iranian stew and sweet rice pilaf while talking about nature.
While many people think that eating well or walking will improve their well-being, Kimberly Bement, assistant director of health education in the Office of Prevention and Education, said the university thinks of health as having eight different dimensions: emotional, social, intellectual, physical, environmental, spiritual, occupational and financial. But emotional and social health are “at the forefront” of many incidents, she said.
Northeast offers many opportunities for this during Wellness Week, Topher Gamble, wellness program specialist at Northeast’s Seattle campus, told NGN.
The Seattle campus community offered work-study breaks, therapy dog visits and a “Budget Bites” session with instructions on how to make a healthier version of the purple berry-flavored “Grammies Shake” from McDonald’s.
In Vancouver, the Time Management Solutions workshop offered tips on finding balance.
Oakland communities are served with free chicken wings and stress management advice from university counselors and psychologists.
But throughout the year, Gamble said he and his team always try to teach students to prioritize all aspects of their health, especially the social part. He said he tries to meet students face-to-face, whether it’s with an afternoon walk or a game of ping pong, to emphasize the importance of social connection, something important when transitioning to life on campus or a career after graduation.
“We’re constantly trying to find ways to come together,” Gamble said. “We have a lot of students who come to campus focused on one thing, the career side.”
Rodman added that the lack of a third place — gathering places outside of home or work — also contributes to this feeling as people lose places to gather and connect with people new and old.
In Boston, the Center for Spirituality, Conversation and Service serves as a place for students to meet and connect throughout the year. Sagar Rajpal, associate director of spiritual life with the center, said the programs they sponsor during Wellness Week are aimed at aligning with more “overlooked” aspects of wellness and are meant to encourage people to stop later for meals and socializing.
But many of the events they sponsor, such as Meditation and Mango Lasi and Yoga and Yogurt, are enhanced versions of the events that the Center for Spirituality, Dialogue and Service regularly hosts. The center hosts weekly breathing workshops, daily meditations and dinners that encourage conversation twice a month.
Azalea Murray, 21, a dialogue associate for the center and a fourth-year criminal justice and journalism major, helps run these dialogues, which she said help people connect on topics that go beyond small talk in a safe space.
“The Northeast is very international and people come from all over the world,” Murray said. “That sense of community that we felt back home can be lost, which is why I think people are looking for community-based clubs and organizations.”
Rajpal said the events inspired “some of the most community building” he’s seen in 10 years in the Northeast. What he found is that people want connections, especially with people of different perspectives, which is why these events are so popular.
“It really paints a picture of how bringing people together to participate in wellness-related exercise can be very rewarding,” Rajpal said. “People really want to connect and … there are so many different perspectives that you can learn on campus every day.”
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