Do You Ever Feel Lonely?

I feel lonely all the time no friends but it doesn't bother me to much. social media doesn't make it harder to make friends or make you feel lonely (my opinion) for other people it might make it easier for others to keep friends especially long distance. Its difficult/near impossible making friends, after high school friends wont be needed so its not a concern.

People who spend more time on social media tend to feel more lonely, depressed, and anxious. This was proven by a study conducted by Melissa G. Hunt who is an associate director of clinical training in Pennsylvania University’s Psychology Department. Hunt and her team studied the relations of loneliness and the use of social media. When you use social media like Instagram or Facebook, you see other people’s posts and you feel that your life is not as “cool” or “interesting” as theirs. This makes you feel lonely, because you think that your life is insignificant to theirs. However, these posts are just a snapshot of their life, just a piece of it. Looking at these posts doesn't make you feel “connected”, they only make you feel bad about yourself.(NewsRx Health). Humans are social creatures by nature, so we want a steady connection with other humans. But, after we use social media, we begin to crave the connection. And by always wanting connection with others, it only makes us feel even more lonely because it makes us unable to feel fulfillment, or content when we are alone. This makes us feel lonely when we are alone.(New York Times Upfront). Not only does social media make you feel lonely, but also make you spend less time face-to-face with friends. People begin to use social media as a substitute for real life interactions. Even if you spend half the day texting friends, the content;s quality will be much worse than spending two hours hanging out with friends in real life.

Although it may just seem like a feeling that we experience when we are away from others we know, the fallout of loneliness is much more dangerous than we think. As humans, we are social beings, meaning that we need to be with people we know or trust to be around us in order to survive. Without others, our lives could literally be at stake. Our personal definitions of loneliness are something that are predetermined by our early experiences and exposure to social cues and relationships; if we can’t sense a relationship with another person that we acknowledge as socially adept, our stress hormones tell us that something is “wrong”, allowing other feelings like isolation and anxiety to disrupt and ultimately destroy our mind. With loneliness, many bad things can result from it, such as substance abuse and other crimes. Studies have even shown that lacking social connection can as damaging to our health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day! Loneliness is also directly related to depression, which is a very serious mental disorder which can lead to a very disoriented body, unstable mind, and even death. With suicide and depression becoming ever more relevant and damaging in our society, it is important that we are wary of the causes and effects it can carry to others.

Some people like to have their moment of tranquility to think about their problems or something they want to get out of their mind. It is better to think about your problems alone than to tell your situation to someone you do not trust. It is difficult for me to make friends because I don’t associate with a lot of teens. I spend more times with adults.

The feeling of being alone is something I feel a lot and it’s because of how people are these days. You can’t trust anyone anymore, you can’t tell someone something without them judging you or telling other people. Your so called “friends” will talk trash about you behind your back, this is why I struggle to make friends. I try to find people that I know would never do this to me and would never stab me in the back. In the past I have made some poor decisions friend wise and it has caused me to have trust issues and act a certain way towards people that I don’t even know. I have about two people I actually trust and will tell them everything, vice versa. Most of the time I keep things to myself because I don’t want anything to get out and no one needs to know my personal business.

Absolutely, I felt lonely in the first week of my university since everything was new for me. I left my hometown and none of l my friends went to the same school as me. Since I am poor at chatting with people whom I am not familiar with, I have difficulties to make friends in a new environment in a short period of time. I used to stay with those who have mutual interests or personalities with me. Therefore, it takes some time for me to adjust myself in university life. There are so many people from different towns and have unique personalities in the universities. I think social media might allow people to chat with each other even when they are far from distance. However, if the user focus too much on their digital devices, they might be isolated from the real world. While they are talking delightfully with their friends far away, they are ignoring people around them. I feel lonely when my friends keep typing their smart phone during the meal. I couldn’t find an opportunity to talk with them. I would ask myself to leave my comfort zone and not to be afraid of getting hurt when I feel lonely. I will talk to myself that I would to be regretful in the end if I don’t seize the opportunity to make friends with others. I think it is useful to encourage myself by using some positive saying. Sometimes what I need is just a push to forward since there are so many people that are friendly.

It may sounds surprising that I always feel lonely when I am in a classroom where all my classmates chat enthusiastically. The more heartily they chat with each other, the more lonely I feel. When it comes to making new friends, I tend to be a little passive. And I think my experience when I was little can explain the reason. When I was in grade 1, Mom forced me to go to cram school. I just wanted to make friends with a girl, who was in grade 5. In order to befriend her, I just talked to her and shared how I felt on that day with her. In the beginning, she pretended to be willing to chat with me, so I kept in touch with her. Finally, she couldn't help but shout in front of all my classmates that I am not familiar with you at all! Why do you keep talking to me? All my classmates taunted me, and I cried therefore. From then on, I just prevent myself from talking to strangers actively. After all, it's really hard to have similar interests with each other. Or maybe he doesn't want to make friends with you at all. I think that explains why I don't blend into my classmates and feel lonely on my own. I think people consider the social media , such as Instagram, to be a tool to record their daily lives. No matter how meaningless it may seem, they will record everything that happens as long as they carry their own cellphones. They like to take a selfie with their friends and post it on Instagram to pretend they are kinds of popular. Let's not be deceived by the fake digital world!

1.Recently I started to work at a cram school. The people in the school are all much older than me and have known each other for years. Although they all treat me very well, I can still find it a long way for is to be called "close". I am never able to join them when they are chatting and it feels like I'm some stranger sitting in the same room with them. After a few months working there, I feel more comfortable in the school. I am able to chat with them without being like a stranger. I think I just needed some time to get used to it and get familiar with them. 2. Many of my high school friends like to show their college lifes on social  media. It looks like they are have a great time with people they have just known  for days. I don't feel lonely because of that but I think they should get to know their friends better before they go to night clubs with them. 3.I find it pretty easy to make friends because I'm a very talktive. I can usually get to know other people in no time. College is not like high school, students don't stay in the same classroom, and you will not always be with your classmates. You might need longer time to get to know your friends.

Of course, I have ever feel lonely before. Especially now, I think I often have difficulty in making friends after high school. On one hand, the friends I met in senior high school are so hard to come by that I can't forget the precious memories with them. That makes me don't want to enter a new beginning. On the other hand, since I live in New Taipei City, I can't apply for dormitory. And therefore, I can't catch up with my classmates' conversation usually. And just like the auther said,loneliness is too often paired with self-blame and self criticism. I start to be unconfident when facing a new environment. When the situation get worse, I always think that it was my fault. Social media indeed have huge impact on the feelings of loneliness. Nowadays, we use instagram or facebook and so on to share our feelings whenever. If you didn't use them frequently, you couldn't know what they think. Because when you ask a person why you feel that, he or she will not answer you but just say, " oh, I have mentioned it on my instagram. " However, I think we still can't only connect with people on social media, for the connection built on the Internet can't appear our true emotions. As a result, I will choose to preliminary understanding new classmates with social media, and then make our own memories in our daily lives.

     I often feel lonely when I stay alone in a place where I am not very familiar with. The reason is that I usually get nervous and uncomfortable in that situation. Also, I am too accustomed to living in the comfort zone. If none of my friends or family is by my side, I will feel bad and lonely.      In my opinion, social media may impact on some people's feelings. However, it won't make any change to my sense of social isolation. I won't get into bad mood when I see my friends posting something about their wonderful day. I believe that everyone must have his or her good experiences. As a result, I'll just be happy that my friends have a nice day.      Making new friends is a difficult task for me. I am too shy to start a conversation with someone I don't know before. Besides, I usually feel awkward if other people are not very interested in what I say.      I would try to tell to myself that almost everyone has experienced the lonely time and it would be just a short process when I feel lonely. And because of having this thought, I agree with Ms. Bergmann. I consider that we shouldn't think too much about it because it is just like a feeling we must experienced in our life.

I seldom feel lonely, but I feel lonely sometimes when my friends are not around me during summer or winter vacation. Since I am the only child in my family, my friends always play important roles in my life, I enjoy every moment hanging out with them, but the fact is that I can’t always be with them. I think that social media can help us soothe the pain of feelings of loneliness. In my experience, it doesn’t worsen my sense of social isolation, rather than that, it makes me feel more connected to the people I am acquainted with because I get to know them better. I find it relatively easy to make friends because I think that l am an easy-going person. It usually takes time for me to form genuine connections with others. I hope that I can do my best at making new friends in my future life. I agree with what Ms. Bergmann said. It is common for people to feel isolated during certain time. I would probably give a cellphone to myself or others when we feel lonely because I think that using cellphone is the best way to kill time when we are alone.

Q1. Do you feel lonely ? If so, when have you felt most alone and why? Yes,I often feel lonely when I have nothing to do. That’s because I prefer to do some entertainment with my friends instead of being one person in my spare time. Q2.What impact does social media have on feelings of loneliness? In your experience, does it worsen your sense of social isolation? Or does it make you feel more connected? Why? 2-1 It made me feel lonely to do something which I could do on my own before since the characters of the posts on social media are not one person but a group of good friends. 2-2、3 I think that social media make me feel more connected. For example, when I saw my friends or others post something interesting, I would like to try like that. Q3. Do you find it relatively easy or difficult to make friends? What does it take for you to form genuine connections with others? What hopes and worries do you have about making friends after high school? 3-1I find it relatively difficult to make friends. 3-2 we can connect on internet first to understand each other more. Thus, we can reduce the embarrassing time. 3-3I hope that I can naturally find someone who can really understand me. However, I don’t worry that I can’t find a true friend right away.

I always feel lonely, especially when I am in a place with people chatting and laughing around me, which makes me feel that I am unsuitable. I always see my friends laughing and chatting with their friends online. Despite of the distance, they can still share lives with each other. However, I don’t think people are more connected with the development of social media. How can people understand each other without eye contact and real talking? Therefore, when my classmates laugh in front of their smartphone, I feel more lonely because I know I set myself into a room with people who I know but cannot connect with. Although I always feel lonely, I don’t think that is a negative feeling. I agree with Ms.Bergmann that being open about isolated is necessary. When you are isolated, you get more time to get along with yourself. I always agree that a person should spend time with himself more than others. In the moments, we can talk to ourselves, try to understand ourselves, and cherish ourselves. That is, we can do what we really want without others’ interruption. Moreover, you can also be more rational to think because no one would force you to listen to their opinion. In conclusion, be comfortable with loneliness and take advantage of it, you will find your life easy to stand.

I think that it is normal for us to feel lonely because there are not always be people to keep us company. I definitely feel lonely sometimes. For instance, I used to feel lonely when I saw other people walking and chatting together on the campus while I was walking alone. However, I won't say social media has an impact on feelings of loneliness to me. There are not any thoughts come up to my mind when I see my friends' post on social media. I think it is because I am not the kind of person that enjoy outdoor activities or social occasions. Since I am lazy and don't want to go outside on the weekends, I often want to be alone in my spare time; so I don't admire other's colorful life when I see their post. Making friends is not easy for me because I am a little bit passive. I don't really know how to chat with the person I just met, so I struggle to start a conversation with somebody.

I believe that everyone suffer from loneliness from time to time. When you see your friends having a wonderful day hanging with their friends on the social media , it may let you feel down because you think that their life is much better than yours. I used to think like that and regarded myself as a loser because I don't have many friends and usually feel lonely. But I finally realize that everyone feel lonely from time to time and also many people are shy so that they have to spend more times making new friends just like me I'm very happy to know that I'm not the only person who afraid of adjusting new surroundings and making new friends. And I also want to encourage all the people who feel loneliness because you think you don't have as many friends as others. Just believe yourself and give yourself more time to adjust the situation. Everything will soon be fine.

I think that feeling loneliness is part of adjusting a new environment. You are not familiar with this surroundings, including people who going to in contact with you in the next four years. Therefore, it is normal that you try hard to adapt yourself to the new conditions. Sometimes, I feel lonely when I get into the new place. I’m not good at socializing, and this weakness makes me afraid of chatting with others actively. But I know that I just need more time to get along with my classmates, and there are many people have the same feelings as mine. As a result, I realize that I’m not lonely, and I think this is also not a bad thing to me. I think that social media is a convenient tool to develop relationship between people, it makes me feel more connected with my friends. But I still believe that the most important thing to make friends is your sincere.

I think it’s normal to feel lonely, and so do I do. Seeing old friends hanging out with their new friends especially makes me feel most alone. All the memories we created would come up to my mind, but we are no longer as close as before. Due to this reason, I think social media enhance the feelings of loneliness. Besides, social media leads to lots of comparison. So I might admire others’ life, which increase my sense of social isolation. It gets more difficult to make friends for me after growing up. I am the kind of passive person who expects others to come to me. One of the reasons might be that I am afraid of disturbing others. I tend to think too much when it comes to making friends. I hope to be more active in college and make some friends, and it would be nice to have few but close friends. I agree with Mr. Bergman. It’s a life long lesson to stay comfortable to get along with ourselves, because being alone is inevitable. For me, it provides me the opportunity to get to know what I want. I like to write things down when I’m alone, it’s one of the way to communicate with myself, and make all the things clear.

When studying in a new city, it’s inevitably to feel lonely for sometimes. There are a few reasons that causes the feeling being spurred. For one thing, my parents will no longer stand behind the doors pulling a “Look what time is it?” long face and give some preaches afterwards. Frankly, when I come back from school, my parents are in my hometown, not where I live my days now. For another, the friends whom I’m familiar with no longer appeared in my sight everyday. I know that they are still there, but people have their own life to live. And I have to live mine, too. The thought sometimes makes me feel a bit. Last but not least, sometimes, the surroundings makes me feel a little like I’m standing right in the old ones, but it’s not. And there’s more reality we have to face in the future path. However, we can still think it this way… When we feel lonely, we can do things that makes me feel being accompanied. Strolling in the unknown street, writing ubikes in the downtown and thinking nothing. Sometimes, emotions and the attitude we hold may make up some part of the loneliness we gain from being apart with people and environment we have affections for.

• I do feel lonely some times. However, this kind of situation always happens when I am with a group of people rather than being alone. I think the reason for the feeling I have relates to my own personality. I am the person who really afraid of the awkward atmosphere during a conversation. As a result, it is easy for me to have the feeling of loneliness staying in a crowd. • As you can tell, social media plays an important role in today's society. People get used to chatting with people online or even meet new friends via some dating websites. In my opinion, social media does worsen the relationship between people and enhance the social isolation because it is hard for us to share feelings through internet.For me, talking face to face still better than using social media. • I consider myself as a social one. However, I did face some problems making friends in college. Everyone's courses are different so you just kept meeting new people in a short time. And that's why making friends in college is harder, but once you are familiar with the mode, it will not be that tough to feel isolated. • Definitely necessary. Everyone must have many experiences of being alone through lives, yet the most important thing of all is not the feeling of loneliness, but how to deal with it. Learn how to get used to it can make you build a strong resilient. • Think of the people who love you so much. Nobody is alone in this world. Friends and families will always stand by you.

Yes, I surely have felt lonely. Specially when I’m low-spirited, and no one I’m familiar with just being there beside me. Or there’s no one I can ask for help when I’m being confused or helpless. And I’ll feel anxious when having feelings of loneliness after seeing many posts on social media. I’ll feel more connected as knowing where did my friends go and what did they do. However, I will soon be overwhelmed with the sense of social isolation as thinking of the thing that the person accompanied her wasn’t me. So the emotions I got from social media were mostly negative. But It’s different now because of my mind changes. It’s relatively difficult to make friends for me definitely as well. To form genuine connections with others I think is mainly need an open heart to embrace other people and to realize them actively, but which I’m still hard to achieve. I was worried I couldn’t find a friend can get along with me because I’m hard to. But It isn’t the thing I’m worried about at all. And I just hope to have a little genuine friends in college, and I’ll really be satisfied with having these relationships.

I personally believe that everyone suffers from loneliness at some point in there life. The advice I would give is simple, straight to the point. Jesus loves and cares for you; he knows you by every hair on your head and he knows the plans he has for you. Although not everyone believes the way I do, I would still tell them he same advice because that is simply what I believe. If you are lonely because you do not have friends and are shy, be brave. Jesus did not give you the spirit of fear, but the spirit of a sound mind.

In some times I do not like that peoples stay around me, because they feel to me uncomfortable, like I have not heart for listening to others, because nothing matter me, the only thing important to me is my mother and my brothers.I know always I going away from anything, cause-I do not trust in any person. I like to be lonely, out the things that can hurt me . I do not know like to fall in pain. For me nothing is fun .

I feel that loneliness is a pain every individual feels when they are going through hard times. Yes my self I have suffer from loneliness. It was when I moved from middle school it was a big district change it was hard to be social. The impact of social media is that some people worry to much about likes and the fame that they try to much I feel for some people is worsted it but for me myself I learn that social media doesn’t really matter it is better to spend time with people whom you value instead of texting them. Social media only helps you check up on people you don’t feel the same connection as if you had the person next to you. For outgoing people it is easier to make friends then for shy and quiet people. To make friends one just has to be themselves if people like you they will be your friend if not then they won’t. In High School it is important to know that you gain friends and you lose friends. Ms. Bergmann is right because if you are not open the pain of loneliness could become worst. If you feel lonely it is important to keep your mind busy as to get a job, join a sport, go to the gym so social fun things that will get you to meet people.

Jalen Johnson 10/16/18 Have I ever been lonely? Yes I have, but at the same time it made me who I am today. I was just like Ms. Bergmann at one point, maybe longer then that. I remember making new friends, but I had to test them out first. For me, to make new friends, I have to really trust you because I’ve been hurt to many times. I barely talk to people, but I give them chances. For me, it was hard because I really do not talk to people at all. I have no desire to make new friends anymore. It was a lot of trial and error. Her feelings of social isolation does apply to me. I say this because I stay and keep to myself because I don’t trust people like that. I don’t like telling my problems to people. To me, I am always lonely because that’s just how I feel. People like my friends say that there for me, but are they really? I have felt the most alone was when my dad died. Everything about me changed because his death was everything to me. Social media has the biggest impact on people loneliness. A lot of people worries about what others has to say about them, which makes them stay alone. For me, I honestly do not care about social media disconnecting or connecting me to making new friends or not. I’m going to be myself regardless.

As a senior in high school, I have already taken into consideration on how college life might affect me. Seeing others go out of state to a university only to come back to a community college only because they couldn’t handle the stress is all to scary for me. I really don’t want to take the risk, so I decided to go to community college and then a university. I want to get used to the stress, while still at home to seek guidance from my parents, not through FaceTime but as people. I have no social media, I tend to stay away from that, and making friends is difficult for me as it usually is people make friends with me, if that makes sense. I find it apparently hard to talk to new people, so I worry that this will only grow after high school. Moving into high school was easy because I knew the general people that were around me, but college is on a whole new level of stranger.

While I oftentimes feel very lonely, I understand that there are countless others who feel the same. The most effective way to curb loneliness is to simply open up about how you feel. Once a dialogue is started, there tends to be an outpouring of people who feel the exact same. People can then confide in each other and as a result, feel less lonely. Loneliness is a natural reaction to have when living in such a vast world where some parts feel empty. However, the greater our bonds are with each other, the more confident we are to confront our big, scary world.

I often have trouble connecting with people right away. In new situations, especially around people I have never met before, I usually feel most comfortable observing for a little while before jumping in to the conversation. Generally, I find it easy to get along with people, but I have a small group of close friends. This does not usually bother me, as I feel that my closest community is within my family. Going to college next year, I am a bit concerned about being able to make new connections away from my hometown. I’m confident that I will be able to make friends eventually, but there will probably be a time when I feel lonely or isolated. This seems to me to be a normal part of the college transition, as young people have to learn how to live on their own for the first time and often need to start from scratch in finding friends. In this respect, I think that social media can both help and hurt a new college student. On one hand, it allows students to maintain old relationships and stay connected with people from all over the world, which could help decrease loneliness. The fact that it takes only seconds to communicate via texting or social media definitely helps preserve a sense of togetherness. However, seeing how successful people make themselves appear to be on social media can also make a student feel worse about him or herself. Social media should not replace face-to-face interaction, but if used appropriately, it can help ease the transition into college life.

I’ve felt lonely a lot of my school career I’ve never had a lot of friends and being lonely was a norm by highschool. Social media doesn’t help anyone that feels lonely they just see how much fun and how exciting thier life is compared to their own. Making friends is very hard because of my tell it how it is personality. So I’ve never had many friends most of the connections come from either sports and video games when I make friends. Don’t be afraid to open up about isolation others feel the same as you probably do. Some advice is that you shouldn’t give up or change yourself to match what others will ever want you to be

I feel the most lonely when I am at home scrolling through social media on a. Friday night. Most of my friends are out together having fun while I am in my bed waiting for dinner to be ready. I can only blame my mother’s culture for this as she is stricter than all of my friend’s parents. Indian girls are taught to be shy and look pretty. They mustn’t laugh too loud, or smile too much, and God forbid one of them asks to leave the house. My mother was raised this way in India, therefore this is the only way she knows how to be a parent. The feeling of missing out, or FOMO, has been added to the dictionary as a real feeling. Social media definitely is a part of this because of the posts people put on social media of themselves, unaware of the possible pain it could cause others. Making friends is generally hard because one does not get to choose their friends. The relationship occurs if there is a natural spark and connection right away. If there is not, pushing something to work simply does not happen. To form genuine connections, I talk to everyone and if anyone does not have an honest and fun conversation with me, I do not force the relationship. When I feels lonely, I try my best to get out and do something to have fun, be it with someone or alone. Either way, feeling lonely does not occur if I am distracted.

When I first started college, it was really overwhelming. Orientation was filled with so many activities with so many different people that you probably will never see again. I wasn't lonely because I wasn't surrounded by people, but because I couldn't find people I trust and develop long lasting relationships with them. And while you spend so much time socializing, you also forget that there always needs to be some time you spend alone. The transition is challenging for me, but I eventually learnt a lot about managing my social life; how to set time for yourself as well as how to develop relationships with others. Therefore, while you may find yourself lonely in an alien environment, know that it is a good opportunity to step out of your comfort zone and learn to interact with people.

Being lonely can have some good advantages and disadvantages, I've been in many situation where I had to make new friends, me and my family moves a lot. It was tough for me at first

In the summer before my sophomore year I found my people. I have lots of friends; friends from sports, friends from school, but I have certain friends that are my people, my boys. When I'm with my boys, things just flow. I know they have my back, always. However before I found my boys, I felt the loneliness Emery talks about. Before then I had always had different friends, in many different circles, but never had a group of people that I could call my boys. I always tried to fit into groups that had already been established, and even though I was successful in becoming friends with these people, they weren't my boys. I didn't fit in. So I would move on to the next group and try to fit in, but it didn't work. It can take awhile to find your people, and I don't think it's something you can force, but I do think everyone finds their boys eventually. The loneliness does go away.

There are times during the day where I feel lonely and honestly, it has to be the worst feeling to go through. Since I’ve always been the shy one, I have encountered many times where I have felt lonely due to my lack of being social. I remember my freshman year of High School, I literally knew no one because my old middle school there was only 13 students in my class and they all ended up going to different schools. There were days where I didn’t even want to go to school because I was afraid that everybody was going to judge me because I didn’t have any friends. It felt as if I was going to have to deal with that loneliness everyday but now, I’m a Junior in High School and I can say that it does get better. I’ve made friends that are even better than the ones I had before and I’m immensely grateful. Loneliness is something we all deal with at some point, but we have to keep in mind that it’s temporary and throughout time, we realize that anyone can overcome it even if it may seem difficult at first.

Loneliness is an overbearing feeling that unfortunately is universal, and something that almost everyone experiences. It is a feeling that is easy for many people to cover up; the popular girl, the football team captain, and the person that you always see going out with his friends. People that you would expect to feel a sense of being loved and surrounded by people, often feel very lonely. I can remember multiple times where I have been in a room full of people, even my closest friends, and still felt completely alone. Sometimes, no matter how many people you have in your corner, it is inevitable to feel a little bit lonely from time to time. In order to mask the loneliness people feel, they often try to branch out and talk to people, and like Bergmann said, it is very hard, and very draining. From personal experience, I know that some people have a metaphorical "social battery". After spending so much time with people trying to be social, my social battery runs out after a while, and the feeling of loneliness finds it way back. Social media, to me, is only something that makes it worse. Like Bergmann pointed out, people get to choose how they are viewed on social media. No one is going to make it look like they're doing bad, so they only show the good things going on in their lives, which often makes me feel like I'm the only one going through what I'm going through. I need to remember that though I may feel lonely, I am not alone.

being alone can mean a lot of things, it means you need a friend, someone to cuddle with at night, someone there for you at all times. But you should know that you're not alone in this world, everyone has gone through this emotion. anyone can help if you seek for it. it takes a lot of confidence to overcome the fear of rejection and that is something that can be achieved over time. The best piece of advice i can give someone is to open up to someone, people care about how you feel; friends and families.

To whoever is feeling lonely - I am not going to tell you it will be okay because right now it is not. I know that feeling far too well. Trust me, I've been there. I know what it is like to have no one to speak to. I know how it feels to see everyone hanging out with each other and you're at home laying in bed at 7pm on a Friday night. I know the pain of bottling all of your emotions by force. I know that it sucks when you can't tell anyone about your day. Trust me, I know. The only way it for it to get better relies on you and your actions. It took me too long to understand that things are not going to go my way if I don't strive for it, and even if I did, it didn't change over night. Wherever you are in this moment, if this comment applies to you, take my advice and try to speak to someone, try to get comfortable with the uncomfortable, because right now, loneliness probably sounds better than the idea of making friends. It only improves if you take that step, and I promise you, you are capable of it. In your current state of loneliness, you are never alone. There is at least one more person who faces the same hardships. We, as people, need each other, but we won't have each other if we don't have the courage to go out and look. Together, we can make that change. You, can make that change.

I never really fell lonely until I began middle school. This was so because I went from elementary school (I was in ESL) to middle school literally by myself. All of my elementary school friends went to different schools than me. It didnt help that just 3 years before 6th grade I moved to the U.S and I still wasnt used to the change. I didnt consider myself an antisocial person but seeing everyone meet up with their elementary school friends and people I knew made me feel lonely. If you are feeling lonely social media might make that feeling worse if you see many of the people you have on social media having fun. This was not the case for me, it made me feel more connected. I used to call my friends from Ecuador and it made me feel like I was still with them. It find it easy to make friends now but to make a good connection we need to talk, hang out and it doesn't happen with everyone its just something that happens. I dont really have any worries about making friends after high school I actually look forward to it.

Loneliness is a feeling that is shared by everyone. It can often bring on feelings of isolation, overbearing feelings- which can help one to forget that it is a universal feeling. Many deal with it differently, therefore it is hard to determine how many people around you are experiencing it. While it can bring one down, it can also be empowering. Recognizing that this feeling is shared plays a big role in one's journey to understanding oneself better. Given that social media highlights peoples' better points in life, it must be remembered that social media platforms, like Instagram and Snapchat, present inaccurate, artificial depictions of what real life, of what happiness looks like. Many teenagers have succombed to this feeling. This fact of life must be overcome because in reality, people are not always living their best lives. Acknowledging that loneliness is a common feeling can lessen the negative impact that loneliness can have on one's life. The ability to be happy in one's own company is important in maintaining a well-balanced life. Emery Bergmann told us about how lonely she felt during her transition into college. This is but one example, as nearly everyone goes through a similar experience. A year later, she tells us how her perspective on college life improved, and that her feeling of loneliness came to be understood; within time, she settled in. Loneliness is common, and should be more widely understood.

The last time that I can vividly remember feeling lonely and like a complete outsider was my transition from elementary school to middle school. I only knew one other person going to the same school who was, my friend. Going to a new school and knowing close to nobody was probably the scariest thing 11-year old me could’ve ever experienced. Making friends during the school year wasn’t as hard as I imagine. To this day, all my closest friends I met during my three years in middle school and I am now a junior in high school. I can’t really say that i have made any other close friends in high school besides my friends from middle school. I can’t even imagine how hard going in to college and having to make new relationships will be especially because everyone is grown and have opinions of their own that you’re oblivious to when you’re 11 years olds. All I can do now, is hope for the best

Loneliness is a very universal emotion. I believe that social media can have both a negative and positive effect on this feeling. It depends on what type of person you are. Personally, I feel like social media has more of a negative impact on people’s social isolation because it can very easily make people feel left out or just feel bad about themselves. On the other hand, it could make other people feel more connected by seeing everyone’s posts and what they’re doing with their lives. One of the biggest fears I have for the future in college is not making any friends and feeling lonely. I am typically a very shy person so the thought of being on my own in college and being too shy to form new connections and friendships with people is extremely scary. I agree with Ms. Bergmann and her idea that being open about feeling isolated is necessary in order to overcome it. When you are open about how you are feeling, you will be able to make connections with other people who feel the same way and that could lead to new friendships.

I’m a freshman in college and it’s really hard to feel like I’m not the only person feeling completely isolated. People talk a lot about also having a hard time adjusting, but it’s kind of hard to believe when they all have friends or at least people to hang out with and I just sort of don’t. It’s always been hard for me to spend time alone because I love being around people. Even at home I had to try to make plans and keep myself busy basically all the time, and I was constantly reminding myself that I had lots of friends who loved and cared about me. Here, I can’t even really do that. I’ve definitely become more used to being alone and don’t mind it as much anymore, but I want more than anything to find a group of people I can actually spend time with and a lot of the time I can’t help but think I never will.

Loneliness is a strange feeling. It's one that ironically, cannot go away with the help of one thousand people, but theoretically it could be fixed while being utterly alone. The comforting aspect of feeling lonely is knowing that you are not alone. Everyone, including myself, has those days, weeks, even months of feeling this way on and off. Making friends or joining a new environment is a hard process especially now with social media as a constant reminder that YOU are the only one not at a party right now. As Emily Bergmann said, "I had to minimize my time on social media." I very much recommend this given that social media can be a toxic activity to do when feeling down. It can defiantly worsen my sense of social isolation because it makes me feel like missing out being with people is the worst thing in the world when really, there are many more things I should be thankful for in that moment. Forming genuine connections with others is a difficult task for anyone. Emily explains how "It was hard! It was draining!" It is very emotionally draining. I find it helpful to take my time with the friends that I make and constantly remind myself that with everything good in life, comes hardships. I'm aware that wherever I go after high school, making friends will be hard, and I will have a re-occuring feeling of loneliness but I know that no matter how lonely I feel, I am never alone.

For me college has been the loneliest time in my life so far. I hoped that I’d outgrow this after freshman year but I’m already a junior and still haven’t been able to make a single friend even after joining clubs , trying to be more outgoing, etc. I never thought it would be so hard to find like minded people and I can’t relate to the cliquey, partying culture at my college. The worse part is that everyone insists that college is where you find your people and that people are much more mature than in high school.

As a student in junior year of high school, I have had many episodes of loneliness, just as Emery talked about in her video. In fact, while listening to her video, I noticed a scary degree of similarity between the struggles that she talked about facing and similar struggles that I have had with being social. I feel that the worst thing about getting lonely is that it sneaks up on you quickly. Personally, I could be doing homework on a weekend, or not have seen my friends for a while, and suddenly get hit by a wave of loneliness and isolation. It is a terrible feeling, but as Emery realized in her sophomore year of college, not everyone just goes to college and is instantly socially satisfied. For me, I try and keep in mind that social media is not reality. Whenever you are lonely, I believe that the worst thing you can do to yourself is go on social media. As Emery says in her advice from her sophomore year in college, social media is not reality, and you can't compare yourself to the artificial life that someone puts out for everyone else to see. And the thing is, I am a very socially outgoing person. But when you get cut off from friends and other people that you are used to being around, and then you see everyone else who is seemingly content on social media, it is easy to get yourself down. All in all, it is helpful to remember that feeling lonely will pass, and there are people who love you in the world.

I've been in many situations where I had to make new friends because when I was younger my family moved around a lot which meant changing schools frequently. Whenever it was my first day at a new school I would feel really anxious because I thought that the kids wouldn't like me and that I would have no friends. Usually the first week was the worst because I’d have to sit at lunch by myself and sitting at lunch alone is the loneliest feeling on earth. You’re sit in a cafeteria at a table by yourself with no one to talk to while you’re surrounded by people laughing and eating with their friends. You then start to blame yourself for the reason why no one wants to sit with you. But then you have to remind yourself it always like this for the new kid and not to beat yourself up about it and that the loneliness would eventually pass. And in my case it did and I had a new friend to sit and eat with by the end of the week. Everyone usually feels alone at least once in their life and it’s important to remember not to tear yourself apart because that only makes the situation worse.

Sometimes, while sitting alone in my room, I get a chance to scroll through Instagram pictures, most depicting friends getting together at social events that I haven’t gone to. The weight of all the action that’s happening, while I’m just sitting at home makes me start to wonder, “Do I have that many friends? Why don’t I go out all the time?” Seeing photos like those, especially when feeling lonely, can be extremely detrimental. It makes you feel all alone while you simply watch others living their life to the fullest. I don’t use social media often- I only use Instagram to follow people I admire, like artists, writers, and youtubers I like- and I never post pictures. It always seemed pointless to me; why would you want to share personal pictures of yourself having a good time when you can just cherish them yourself? So since I never post pictures, I never feel a connection with the people I see in the photos online. In fact, I feel the exact opposite- disconnected. It makes you feel as if you’re invisible, seeing others live their lives behind a glass wall- or in this case, a screen. If I were to truly feel a connection with other people using social media, it wouldn’t be by sharing photos of how I look or of me with my friends. It would be by finding a community of people sharing the same passions and interests as I do. Overall, social media rarely lessens the feeling of loneliness. It can make you feel as though others are having a better time than you- and without you.

Yes I feel lonely. I think that everyone feels lonely once in a while, as I feel that it is something that you can not avoid from happening. Social media makes me feel more connected with other, as sometimes I can't always meet them in person . Social media does make it easier to establish connections with other people. Some worries I have are that I won't be able see my current friends or be able to make new ones. If that happens that means I will be isolated again with no one to communicate with accept my self. Some advice I would give people is that you should not give up on making friends. Just try to be yourself and open up about what you like and dislike. Try to go some clubs which interest you. You can help you get some common ground with random people and establish a connection with them. Also try to connect with old friends which you once you once knew, so that you can rekindle your relationship with them.

Do you ever feel lonely? The question alone made me reflect before I opened the article. As a teenage girl starting her junior year of high school, I’m not ashamed to admit that I have felt lonely at many points in my life. One example would be my freshman year, I was under the impression that no one like or except me for my personality alone. Unhappy with myself, I started becoming more isolated. I would close myself off from my friends and family. I would avoid people an wish that I could be with them at the same time. I believed that if I were to tell someone how alone and insecure I was feeling they wouldn’t understand or tell me to get over it. Now I see that I was wrong. Though I can’t remember when it happened, a change occurred within me. I began going out with my friends again, talking to new people, and finding my self confidence. I realized that I liked myself just the way I was and that loneliness is just a concept of our mind, built out of fear and insecurities that hold us back. Once I faced my fears the feeling of loneliness faded with them.

This video and the idea of the whole article is something I believe everyone has to see. Weather it be going to college, or having a rough time finding yourself. There's always going to be points where as people, we're going to feel alone. Social media portrays people as having tons of friends, partying all the time and being happy. Everyone goes through the same struggles, however, that's not the stuff posted about in someones life. By letting go of social media and realizing people all go through different struggles, it can show how if you're lonely, you may not be as alone as you first thought. I have large issues with trying to start conversations with new people at times. We as people can fear judgement, or just not feel the need to speak with others. By as said in the video, just putting yourself out there, you can make new opportunities for yourself. It can be hard, but everyone is out in the world looking to meet new people and not feel so lonely. I feel as I keep getting older, i'll get more confident in who I am and will be able to meet and become friends with others easier. I believe this is the same for a lot of people as well. I am excited to make new friendships when I leave for college, and to keep the old ones made at home. We all go through loneliness, it's just a part of life. What matters is the way we handle, overcome it, and realize that it won't last forever.

My ability to make new friends will vary based on the other people that I am trying to become friends with. Normally if they’re a pretty open person, then I find it pretty easy to make new friends, if they seem closed off however, then I find it rather difficult to establish connections with them. If that applies to how things will be after high school; I am not worried about finding friends after high school. It seems as though with a lot of people looking for new people to become friends, then people will be more willing to open up to you, thus establishing more connections. Maybe after college it will be a much different story, and I will likely find it harder to find friends. I believe another tool that may be able to help me will be social media. It’s a great tool for connecting people, as I have met and retained more than a few friends based off social media, that had not been for social media, I would not have. Despite of this, social media has made me feel isolated from time to time. Most of the time, if I see that people have elected to hang out without me, it makes me feel a little down about my situation. I am able to shrug it off, however, and I’d argue that all in all, social media tends to be an important tool to make people feel connected to others. After all, isn’t that the purpose of social media?

Social media is believed to make people be more connected with events, allowing viewers to stay up to date on the lives of their loved ones without constantly having to text or call. For example, apps such as Instagram and snapchat provide live videos for their audiences to feel as though they are a part of something bigger and better like concerts or parties. With everyone becoming included online, there is less time to feel alone, and everyone is happy in the end. However, I don’t agree. Has anyone considered what it felt like to be the person at the concert, trying to have a fun time with their best friend only to find out that they care more about their live videos on instagram than being in the moment with you? Has anyone considered what it felt like to be on the person waiting for you to stop looking at your phone as they constantly try to have a conversation? Has anyone considered what it felt like to be the person who doesn’t talk because they have no idea what post you’re talking about? Social media may make everyone feel “connected” digitally, but it also makes people forget those around them. In addition, if a person is not actively using Instagram or snapchat, they are clueless to the things their friends are watching, making it harder for them to try to talk without worrying about being ignored. Loneliness doesn’t only happen when you’re by yourself, but it’s also happens most when you’re with the ones you care about, especially with the help of social media.

I think one of the main reasons people become lonely is their belief that they can't fit in, like no matter what they do people won't want them around. They see other people talking and making friends and they wonder why they're so behind everyone else. I've not most outgoing person, so when I got to high school I had a hard time finding people and talking to them, and it would put me down to see my old friends integrate themselves into large friend groups that I just couldn't seem to interact with. I joined sports teams and clubs, but I always found myself on the outside because of my own self doubt- was I interesting? Funny? Kind? Did people actually want me around, or were they being polite? My freshman and sophomore years were hard because I was constantly asking myself these questions. Social media was not helpful either. To see everyone posting pictures of their fun and people-filled weekends made me angry at myself for my isolation. Now that I'm a junior, I still have this problem, but to a lesser extent. I make more of an effort to be invested in other people, and to involve myself with team events and club activities. I don't compare myself to what I see on Instagram (as much) and I'm more content to spend time alone after realizing I can't actually "fall behind" if I just need to be by myself. Because I came to this realization now, as a junior, I think that I'll be okay in college. I'll struggle just like everyone else, but overall, I know I'll find my people.

After reading the New York Times article "Do you ever feel lonely?" I think that everyone is lonely at one point. Sometimes loneliness occurs even when you have a lot of people around. Loneliness isn't really a physical thing, it is more of a state of mind. If you feel alone, then you will be alone. Loneliness is all in your head, until it isn't. When you become extremely lonely, it's no t just a state of mind, it is an obsession. When it is all you think about all the time, it becomes a problem. A lot of this has to do with society today. We are all being left out and we are all constantly being metaphorically stepped on. Loneliness is a problem that will probably never be solved. It is just a matter of human nature.

This delightful video is relevant to people of all ages who are going through transitions and find themselves without friends or family. I loved seeing Emery's graceful dance at the end of the video.