An ‘epidemic of loneliness’ among young people has been worsened by Covid, a report reveals today. A fifth of under-35s say they have one or no close friends, three times as many as a decade ago, according to research by think-tank Onward. Will Tanner, Onward director and former Downing Street policy adviser, said: ‘Young people are suffering an epidemic of loneliness that, if left unattended, will erode the glue that holds our society together. ‘After decades of community decline and fifteen months of rolling lockdowns, young people have fewer friends, trust people less and are more alienated from their communities than ever before. And only 40 per cent said they had at least four close friends in 2021, down from 64 per cent in 2011/12.

Source: Daily Mail July 08, 2021 22:52 UTC