Table of Contents
Updated and Fact-Checked by: Christine Zambos, LMFT
Updates list:
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- Updated statistics
- Updated Parents’ coping tools
- Updated teens’ context
- Added more helpful tips
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Due to a variety of influences, social isolation in adolescence can be pretty normal. While some think it is the elderly who are most affected, teenagers and young adults are actually the most socially isolated groups of people.
It’s normal for teens to feel misunderstood and isolate themselves from family and peers. This can be due to fear of judgment, anxiety, depression, and a host of other reasons.
The Covid-19 pandemic heightened this already existing problem. According to a report by Harvard University, 61% of teens and young adults in 2021 reported feeling lonely almost all the time.
While many adults struggled with loneliness during the pandemic, this problem was elevated for teens as a result of lockdowns, virtual schooling, and social distancing.
Other influences, like social media and video games, have also caused some teens to be more isolated with less face to face interactions. However, on the other hand, some teens have used these methods to stay connected with their peers.
How Does Isolation Impact Teens?
Humans are naturally a social species. Especially during development, it is extremely important teenagers learn to interact with the world. Dr. Shannon Gourley, a neuroscientist from Emory University describes adolescence as “a critical period during which social experience is sculpting the brain”.
Social interaction during this stage of development helps build healthy communication skills that will increase positive outcomes in relationships, school and future professional careers.
Studies show that increased isolation in adolescence can lead to negative outcomes during adulthood, including mental health disorders, physical health problems, substance abuse and strained relationships in home and the workplace [1].
Impact of Isolation on Physical Health
While most think isolation and loneliness only affect our mental health, did you know they can also impact our bodies and physical health? By lowering cortisol in our bodies, social connectedness is a proven method to reduce stress.
Cortisol is a stress hormone that increases inflammation in the body. It messes with the nervous system and has been related to a number of increased health problems and negative effects on general well-being, including poor immune system, type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and dementia [4].
Chronic isolation in teens can lead to several physical health symptoms, including:
- Frequent headaches
- Fatigue
- Insomnia
- Muscle and Joint Pain
- Stomach Problems
Social connections for teens play a larger role than many think in their physical health. For parents, educators, and anyone who works with teenagers, it’s important to keep this in mind when making decisions that could impact levels of isolation in teens.
Impact of Isolation on Mental Health
While social isolation may be a bit more common among adolescents, if you find your teenager frequently isolating themselves, especially when paired with other symptoms, it may be important to do a check in on their mental health.
Frequent isolation is linked to a number of mental health and psychiatric problems including:
The Link Between Isolation and Teen Depression
Teen isolation and depression are closely linked because the adolescent brain is wired to develop through connection, feedback, and belonging. During the teen years, the social brain is rapidly maturing, especially systems tied to reward, stress response, and self-identity.
Isolation can increase negative self-talk and make everyday stress feel heavier. Over time, isolation can shift a teen’s baseline toward hopelessness; they may feel less motivated to try and withdraw even more. This cycle is especially risky when isolation overlaps with sleep problems, academic pressure, bullying, social media comparison, or family conflict.
When a teen doesn’t have a consistent connection, the brain’s reward system may stop responding to normal activities (sports, music, friends), which can look like “laziness” but is often a classic sign of depression. Parents and caregivers can watch for red flags like persistent irritability, sudden drop in grades, loss of interest, changes in sleep/appetite, frequent headaches/stomachaches, and increasing avoidance of friends or activities.
If symptoms last more than two weeks or interfere with daily functioning, it’s important to explore depression treatment for teens, which may include a clinical assessment, individual therapy (like CBT/DBT skills), family therapy, and psychiatric support.
How to Help Your Teen Cope with Isolation
As a parent, it can be difficult to watch your teen go through periods of social isolation. You may ask yourself, “How do you handle a teen who is constantly isolating themselves?” There are a number of effects of having no friends on teenagers.
Here is a brief guide to help your teen cope with isolation and loneliness.
Take Interest and Listen Actively
Ensuring you are a solid support for your teenager is important to help them feel they are not alone. Model yourself as a space safe for your teenager to vent and confide in. While some of their problems may seem irrelevant to parents, taking an interest in their daily lives will show them that someone cares.
Actively listening to your teen builds trust that you are an ear they can listen to. Sometimes parents want a quick fix to help their teenager combat feelings of loneliness, but providing a calm and present ear to listen to is all your teenager really needs sometimes.
Validate Their Feelings
Ensure your teenager feels heard by creating a no-shame zone at home—an environment where they can talk about emotions, mistakes, stress, and cravings without fear of punishment or embarrassment. When teens feel judged, they often shut down or hide what’s really going on. Instead, use calm, curious language that says: “I’m listening. I’m here. Let’s figure this out together.”
Find An Activity to Do Together
Sometimes, teens don’t always want to spend time with their parents. But carving out a small amount of time during the week to focus on them is a great way to make sure they feel supported. Let your teen pick an activity that you can do together during the week.
Some activities, based on the interests of your kid, may include going on a nature walk, enrolling in an art or dance class together, bike rides, cooking a meal together, or even playing a round of video games with your teenager.
Not only is this a great way to bond, but it will also provide a distraction from any loneliness they may be feeling.
Group Therapy
If you feel your child is showing severe signs of isolation that could mark depression, anxiety or another mental health problem, enroll them in a support group if they are open to it. This could be a great way for them to connect with other peers who may be having the same feelings.
Support groups provide a safe space for teens to share feelings of isolation without feeling invalidated or shamed. Many teens feel they are misunderstood and cannot relate to others, which only increases feelings of isolation. By connecting with other peers, they will learn skills of empathy, self-compassion, and the simple reminder that they are not alone, even if they feel it.
Guide for Teens
If you find you are struggling with feelings of isolation and loneliness, this is a great start to educate yourself. Feeling lonely is something that even the most successful adults can feel and is not a reason to carry shame.
Here are some things to think about and coping strategies you can try if you find yourself struggling with feelings of loneliness.
Explore Your Feelings
As you grow into adulthood, you will learn that the first step to coping with any of your internal struggles is exploring these feelings and where they come from. Sometimes it can be difficult to see that there are people in your life who care.
Next time you find yourself feeling lonely ask yourself what brought on these feelings. Do certain situations or people you spend time with tend to make you feel lonely? Do you struggle with making or keeping friends?
Asking yourself these kinds of questions may help you better understand yourself which is the first step to finding solutions that can help with these feelings.
Reach Out to Someone You Trust
Understand that it’s normal to feel a bit embarrassed when getting vulnerable with your feelings. Having even one person that you can build a trusting relationship with is extremely valuable. This could be a friend, parent, family member, coach, pastor, counselor, favorite teacher or anyone else in your community you feel comfortable opening up to.
Find a Hobby or Enroll in an Activity
Trying out new activities is a great way to build connections with others based on shared interests, and also to explore your own talents. Isolation can reduce self-esteem, trapping the brain into thinking they have no skills or interests.
There are many opportunities at local schools, gyms, studios and community centers to take part in. Try out a new activity to get out of your comfort zone and if you don’t like it at least you can mark it off your list as something you tried.
Online Support Groups
Tons of virtual groups exist online to not only support you through mental health challenges but to connect over similar interests as well. Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are all filled with groups or pages you can join. Some act as support groups specifically for people feeling lonely, while others act as simply a space to vent or connect over shared interests.
Using social media and the internet to your advantage is a helpful tool. It’s important to remember not everything on social media is real, sometimes seeing others showing off happy posts can increase feelings of our own misery or isolation.
That being said, social media is a great way to stay connected to long distance friends, meet new people or discover community events.
Volunteer
Volunteering your time for a cause that means something to you is a great way to promote positive health benefits. It can reduce stress, chronic pain or give you a deeper sense of purpose in your life.
It is also a great way to connect with others who have similar interests and give back to your community.
Get Physical
Physical activity will naturally boost your endorphins leading to increased confidence, making it easier to connect with others in social settings. Think about joining an outdoor group, gym or local park that will get you moving.
During periods of isolation it is easy to spend a majority of time in your bed or on the couch. Get your body moving to increase energy and remove these negative feelings naturally. Exercise boosts dopamine, increases serotonin and overall has general mental and physical health benefits for teens, kids and young adults of all ages.
Helping Isolated Teens Build Confidence & Reconnect at Clearfork Academy
Clearfork Academy is a network of behavioral health facilities in Texas committed to helping teens recover from substance abuse disorders and co-occurring mental health challenges. We also provide education to families and communities to support the growth and development of teens.
Our family support services include therapy, skill-building workshops, and educational events to help parents and caregivers strengthen their relationships with youth to foster their success and emotional well-being. Discover how Clearfork Academy can support your teen today.
Sources
[1] Social isolation and health. (2020). Health Affairs Health Policy Brief.
[2] Cashin, A. (2024, May 3). Loneliness in America: How the pandemic has deepened an epidemic of loneliness — making caring common. Making Caring Common.
[3] Elizabeth A. Hinton et. al. “Social isolation in adolescence disrupts cortical development and goal-dependent decision making in adulthood, despite social reintegration.” eNeuro 2019; 10. 1523/ENEURO.0318-19.2019
[4] CDC. 2024. Health Effects of Social Isolation and Loneliness.
Austin Davis, LPC-S
Founder & CEO
Originally from the Saginaw, Eagle Mountain area, Austin Davis earned a Bachelor of Science in Pastoral Ministry from Lee University in Cleveland, TN and a Master of Arts in Counseling from The Church of God Theological Seminary. He then went on to become a Licensed Professional Counselor-Supervisor in the State of Texas. Austin’s professional history includes both local church ministry and clinical counseling. At a young age, he began serving youth at the local church in various capacities which led to clinical training and education. Austin gained a vast knowledge of mental health disorders while working in state and public mental health hospitals. This is where he was exposed to almost every type of diagnosis and carries this experience into the daily treatment.
Austin’s longtime passion is Clearfork Academy, a christ-centered residential facility focused on mental health and substance abuse. He finds joy and fulfillment working with “difficult” clients that challenge his heart and clinical skill set. It is his hope and desire that each resident that passes through Clearfork Academy will be one step closer to their created design. Austin’s greatest pleasures in life are being a husband to his wife, and a father to his growing children. He serves at his local church by playing guitar, speaking and helping with tech arts. Austin also enjoys being physically active, reading, woodworking, and music.
