In a recent study from Active Minds, nearly two-thirds of the almost 1,100 college students sampled reported feeling lonely.
Social isolation and loneliness aren’t just abstract feelings: they have significant effects on the rest of society. For example, in a study from Sungkyunkwan University, researchers found that loneliness was negatively associated with prosocial behaviours like altruism, cooperation and volunteering that form the backbone of a well-functioning society.
Still, students can fight back against the loneliness epidemic by finding ways to connect with their community, joining organizations and volunteering.
The Longhorn SHARE Project is a support program that connects students with each other and facilitates supportive environments for students to find a welcoming community. One of their offerings is SHARE Communities, where students can build positive relationships with others who share similar experiences and struggles. These communities span a wide range of topics discussing anxiety, broken hearts, invisible disabilities and much more. UT also provides HornsLink, where students can discover and connect with over 1,000 student organizations.
A study from the University of Hong Kong found that volunteering is particularly effective at combating isolation. UTSEEK is a mentorship and volunteering organization that provides local low-income elementary and middle schools with opportunities to explore and jumpstart careers in STEM fields.
“The one part of me that makes me actually feel actually connected to Austin is having worked with so many students across the schools, and getting an idea of what it actually means to be an Austinite,” said Pablo Diaz, mechanical engineering senior and UTSEEK co-president. “It’s very fulfilling and rewarding to have so many people that are in an organization where they very much could devote their time to anything else, but they choose to actively devote two hours every week to go into public schools — making connections with these students and devoting their time,energy and focus.”
Another local volunteer organization, Austin Pets Alive! (APA), is working to stop the euthanization of companion animals.
“What we found after COVID, or even during COVID more so, was that people did feel incredibly isolated and incredibly disconnected,” said Alexis Telfair-Garcia, APA Director of Learning & Support Programs. “Now, one of the biggest reasons why people volunteer across all spectrums is because they want that opportunity to socialize and to meet other like-minded people and to be able to celebrate the wins that APA brings. We were saving lives every day, and people wanted to be a part of that.”
Volunteering is especially effective for interpersonal bonding because its clear missions resonate with people.
Loneliness is a complex issue, and urging students to participate and give back to local communities may be an oversimplification of the problem. There are also other structural issues contributing to the high rates of social isolation in college students, such as demanding schedules, familial responsibilities and heavy social media usage. While valid issues, these do not discount the necessity for finding supportive environments, which is a research-backed, actionable method to improve social cohesion.
Our society heavily relies on cooperation, empathy and altruistic behaviors that are linked with feelings of inclusion. With so many students feeling lonely, finding ways to connect to a community is essential — or our society will be at risk.
Dasgupta is a computer science junior from Austin, Texas.