The Infamous Loneliness Epidemic: Gen Z’s Struggle With Intimacy In the Digital Age

So Connected Yet So Lonesome

We live in the age of cyberconnections. The rise of social media has made it increasingly easier for all of us to connect with one another – no matter the time of day or the geographical location. Whereas in the past, if you wanted to hear from your faraway friend, you would have to call their home phone or send them postcards – now, all it takes is a click. But if that is true, why is everyone talking about a “loneliness epidemic”?

A recent World Health Organization report shows that loneliness is a universal experience, touching people of all ages. Young people and those living in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) are especially affected. Among those aged 13 to 29, about 17–21% say they often feel lonely – especially teenagers. In low-income countries, nearly a quarter of people report feeling lonely, which is twice the rate in wealthier countries (around 11%).

Social isolation is harder to measure, but estimates suggest it impacts as many as one in three older adults and one in four adolescents. For some, staying connected is even more challenging. People with disabilities, refugees, migrants, LGBTQ+ individuals, indigenous communities, and ethnic minorities often face extra obstacles or discrimination that make forming close relationships more difficult.

Gen Z and The Intimacy Problem

This loneliness is felt even more profoundly in the dating sphere, and Gen Z is currently in the spotlight of this problematic social phenomenon.

The Kinsey Institute – a research institute of the University of Louisiana – together with Lovehoney.com, have conducted a national survey that reveals that 1 in 4 Gen Z adults say they have yet to have partnered sex. Almost a third (31%) said they have tried sexting or cybersex. So, when young adults say they are not having sex, many are actually just exploring their sexuality in new ways. However, their survey reflects some underlying psychological preoccupations that are branding Gen Z as an almost sexless generation.

Their findings document a worrying increase in stress and anxiety, with levels of psychological distress totally unprecedented. Why is this happening? There is student debt and money worries, nonstop negativity on social media, and constant stress about climate change. Not to mention helicopter parenting – a micromanaging parenting style – and years of pandemic lockdowns, whose psychological aftermath lingers over all of us still.

Another study, always led by the Kinsey Institute, this time with DatingAdvice.com, found that more than one in three single Gen Z adults say they are celibate, and for about one in five, that choice is not entirely theirs. Interestingly, over 15% of Gen Z men and nearly 18% of Gen Z women have made a conscious decision to stay celibate.

Is It Because of Burnout Culture?

A study led by researchers from Iwate University and Kyushu University in Japan finds that emotional stress has been rising globally for years, and the COVID-19 pandemic only made things worse. People everywhere – especially the young, those in rural areas, and anyone with unstable work – are feeling it more than ever. This growing stress is pushing many to avoid social situations, showing just how much support and better mental health care are needed.

Furthermore, a 2025 analysis shows that when people feel more stressed, they generally tend to have less sexual desire and arousal. In particular, this research highlights that the link between stress and sexual desire varies depending on gender. While more sexual desire or arousal could help lower stress – especially for women – the dynamic is more complicated than it seems.

For instance, the researchers looked at cortisol, a hormone linked to stress, and found that when women had higher cortisol levels, they were less likely to feel sexual desire, while for men, the connection was much weaker or even slightly positive. So, it seems that stress, especially high cortisol, can lower sexual desire more in women than in men. Nevertheless, these findings did not show any gender discrepancy over time, signifying that we are all somewhat subject to the lifelong, tolling impact stress has on us and our sexual well-being.

Are Dating Apps Making Us More Lonely?

Dating apps are designed to foster connections and simplify how people meet and date. But what if, paradoxically, they are also the fueling force behind our increasing loneliness? Many factors push therapists and academics to consider this hypothesis.

We need to begin by acknowledging the mere mechanism of dating apps: endless scrolling, which can easily lead to burnout. Although there are some platforms, like the Dutch app Breeze, that do not employ this technique, the vast majority are based on a system that allows you to go on swiping for quite a while, if not forever. Tinder, for instance, lets you endlessly scroll through profiles; when it comes to liking (swiping right), the free version only lets you like 100 profiles in a 12-hour window. Now, imagine going on a one-day speed date, during which you have to socialise and emotionally connect with 100 people. It is not a small number, after all.

Observations published in the journal Psychiatric Times highlight other components of online dating that might seem trivial – and are thus often overlooked – but prove challenging in the long run. These platforms may cultivate a culture of perfectionism and unparalleled competition, leading to serious self-esteem issues. Dating apps also foster “ghosting,” the abrupt, unexplained cessation of communication by one party. Then, a more serious and potentially degrading one is sexploitation, which often happens with the exchange of nude photos and the infamous “revenge porn” phenomenon.