People think that it’s the elderly who are lonely. While some are, the truth is it’s Millennials who are the loneliest. A YouGov survey found that 30 percent of Millennials report being lonely. Only 15 percent of Baby Boomers reported feeling lonely.
When it came to having friends, Baby Boomers also topped Millennials. The study found that 9 percent of Baby Boomers reported having no friends, while 22 percent of Millennials reported having no friends. The numbers were similar for close friends and best friends.
What about the Gen X crowd? They’re not immune to loneliness. In fact, 16 percent of Gen Xers reported having no friends. Another 28 percent said they don’t have more than four friends.
What’s Happening?
There are many reasons that people have smaller circles of friends. Almost half of those who didn’t have friends reported they’re too shy to make them. The next most common reason was that the person didn’t feel like friends were necessary. The third most common reason was that the person didn’t have hobbies that made it easy to find friends with similar interests.
Another factor is that people are busy. Today’s worker averages 8.8 hours each day. That’s down slightly from 2014’s 9.4 hours per day, but it’s still a lot of time spent at work. Add in the time it takes to commute to and from work, which averages 26 minutes in the U.S. That adds an extra hour to that 8.8 hour day and reduces the time you have to socialize.
People are also able to work from home now in many industries. Almost 8 out of 10 people say they met their current friends at work. In 2017, 5.2 percent of the population worked from home compared to 3.3 percent in 2000. If you work from home, you don’t have co-workers to form friendships with.
Something to Consider
Family caregivers are getting younger. When you’re balancing your job with the care your parents need, it’s hard to also fit in time with friends. If you’re in that situation, you can’t let your need to spend time with friends get shoved aside.
Home care services are a great way to guarantee you have time to visit with your friends or go meet people. Anyone can be lonely. Age isn’t a determining factor. Having time to do the things you enjoy is what keeps you active and social. Take a day off while a professional caregiver takes over caring for your mom or dad. Call a home care agency to set it up.
Sources:
https://today.yougov.com/topics/lifestyle/articles-reports/2019/07/30/loneliness-friendship-new-friends-poll-survey
https://www.cnbc.com/2017/05/03/how-the-8-hour-workday-changed-how-americans-work.html
https://qz.com/work/1392302/more-than-5-of-americans-now-work-from-home-new-statistics-show/
If you are considering home care in West Memorial, TX, for an aging loved one, please call the caring staff at At Your Side Home Care. We will answer all of your senior care questions. Call today: (832) 271-1600.
Our Certified Nurse Aides, 24-Hour Live-in Assistants and Home Health Aides are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. We also provide the security and confidence of 24-hour Telephone Assistance, so fast, reliable help is always available when it's needed. To learn more about our homecare services see our homecare services page.
Different people need different levels of homecare. To meet the requirements of our clients, At Your Side Homecare maintains consistent staffing levels of caring professionals. Homecare service is available for as little as a few hours a week, or as many as 24 hours a day, seven days a week
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