Young people ‘experiencing distress and loneliness at every turn’, think tank finds

• Research by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) reveals that young people in the UK are five times more likely to have no close friends than a decade ago.
• One in 20 young people in England now report having no close friends at all, up from one in 100 in 2014.
• The report found growing up is “now defined by disconnection” as they are disconnected from themselves, from each other, and from wider society.
• The rise of doomscrolling fuels the trend in disconnection, as young people aged 15 to 17 spend around six-and-a-half hours online every day.
• Ellie Harris, head of children and young people at IPPR, said: "Whatever their background, too many young people are experiencing distress, loneliness and barriers at every turn.”

IN FULL

Young people five times more likely to have no friends than a decade ago, experts find