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Researchers have found that loneliness and social isolation have two peaks across the lifetime. The first occurs in the mid-teens to early twenties, and the second in late adulthood (especially over age 75).
You might guess that today’s teens and college students are somewhat protected from social isolation, because many of them are constantly engaged in social media—with the average teen sending more than 50 texts per day. But the evidence points in a different direction: greater use of social media is associated with more loneliness, not less!