August 1, National Girlfriend Day, a day where few lucky ones actually celebrate it with their girlfriend but for most young people specifically GenZ this is the day for boyfriends to show appreciation to their girlfriends by posting lovey-dovey pictures on their social media platforms — although it must be noted that some are simply forced to.
And for some not having a girlfriend becomes a thing of shame. GenZ these days are busy scrolling past their Instagram feeds and getting anxious while watching in despair as their much-desired female crush is getting picked off by other men. This is where social anxiety, loneliness, frustration, and self-doubt come from.
Statistics from the World Health Organisation (WHO) show that approximately 10% of adolescents and 25% of older people are lonely. Additionally, it does not stop here! In 2021, researcher Steve Cole cited loneliness as a “fertiliser of other diseases”.
Research has indicated that loneliness may shorten life expectancy and increase an individual's risk of physical illness. People lacking strong social networks are more likely to suffer from sleep difficulties, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, coronary heart disease, hypertension, obesity, and many other diseases.
Between 2017 and 2018, the initial phase of the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI) examined nearly 72,000 individuals across India. The findings revealed that 20.5% of adults aged 45 years and older experienced moderate loneliness, while 13.3% reported severe loneliness.
Coming back to the day celebrated by GenZ, National Girlfriend Day came about when the author of a luxury blog, Mistress Susan, created this special day on 1 July 2003 for girls to express gratitude to one another. On 22 September 2005, Chase’s Calendar officially listed August 1st as National Girlfriend Day.
Initially celebrated in the United States it has now become an international event that not only celebrates the love between couples but most importantly, the friendship between female friends.
Why Gen Z is feeling more isolated than ever?
Loneliness is a growing epidemic in most developed countries. Young people aged 16 to 24 feel more lonely than any other age group, including people aged 65 and over
Gen-Z is hyperconnected in the virtual world but socially isolated, which creates an odd paradox. A plethora of new connections and opportunities have been made possible by the internet, mobile devices, and video games. However, the requirement for emotional connections to be made in the real world has not been replaced by digital interactions.
Young people have fewer shared moments and memories. The collective experience has lost ground to individual pursuits
The pursuit of convenience is removing social interactions and producing loneliness. We are designing a world void of human contact. However, taking small steps and curbing the use of social media and using it wisely can help the GenZ to make their lives happy and peaceful.