The young adults of Generation Z are feeling more lonely than previous generations in an era dominated by smartphones, social media and the ever-growing urban sprawl of suburbia.

Around 79% of Generation Z, born in the mid-1990s and later, say that they feel lonely due to a “a lack of social support and infrequent meaningful social interactions,” according to a national study of 10,000 adults by insurance provider Cigna.

In comparison, 71% of Millennials and 50% of boomers say they feel lonely respectively. There wasn’t a statistic given for Generation X.

The rise in loneliness by each sequential generation corresponds to the rise of social media in which real human relationships have been largely replaced by distant “Facebook friends,” with children growing up with less opportunities to learn how to have basic social interactions face-to-face.

“The trends shaping how we work – increasing use of technology, more telecommuting and the always-on work culture – are leaving Americans more stressed, less rested, spending more time on social media and less time with friends and family,” said Cigna CEO David M. Cordani.

It’s a world where more connectivity leads to people feeling more isolated than ever as social media “relationships” are as shallow as the glass screen of a smartphone – and where gaining millions of Instagram followers is more celebrated than raising a family.

What’s also likely exacerbating loneliness is the ever-growing sprawl of suburbia and its never-ending, cookie cutter shopping centers taking over once-pristine farmlands, leading to a declining sense of community as each city looks no different than the next.

For one thing, many cities were named by a nearby geographical feature that made the area unique, so when the land get dotted by big box stores and several nail salons per square mile, it is really that surprising that loneliness is rising as people feel less connected to their fellow residents and local surroundings?

Especially if they’re forced to live as pod people in tiny apartments with exorbitant rents or in subdivisions where they can reach out and touch the house next door.

Beijing, China’s capital, is now enforcing quarantines as the Coronavirus spreads.

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