Out of the many different emotions that humans feel daily, one of them is feeling lonely or alienated. These feelings are strange, because you could be in a group of people and still feel like you don’t belong there, like you’re alone even among a crowd.

Studies show that students are much more prone to loneliness. This can be due to going to a new school, poor academic performance, or family problems. Greater loneliness leads to greater anxiety and depression, which can be harmful for both mental health and academic performance in youngsters, among other things.

While social media has its pros and cons, one of its major downsides is that it makes everything look “perfect” when, in reality, it’s not. People who seem to have “perfect friends” or a “happy life” may also have struggles, but they don’t show them. We only see the happy side. Because of this, we start feeling different, and in trying to make everything perfect, we drift away from our own path.

This often leads to a life of loneliness.

Having different interests or hobbies can also make one feel lonely, because one feels like nobody understands what one thinks, or that nobody has the same interests. Yes, people may have different opinions and like different things than you do, and that is completely okay. Everybody can have different opinions, but you must keep doing what you love.

I used to feel alone because I wasn’t an extrovert, and everyone around me seemed able to talk to anyone. When I forced myself to be an extrovert, it only made me feel unhappy, sad, emotionally exhausted and hollow. But when I started embracing who I was, I felt better. I don’t have 10 or 15 friends, but I have three, and that is better and more fulfilling.

Embrace who you are; you don’t have to change yourself to fit in. Do your favourite thing. Do you like to read books? Do it. Do you like writing? Do it. Do you like drawing or anything else? Do it. Use this alone time to do things you love and make progress in them.

Don’t know what to do or don’t have any hobbies? That’s not a problem. Do things you’ve wanted to do for a long while, like starting a new show, decluttering your bag, or teaching yourself a topic you’ve been meaning to learn for ages.

One more thing — if you can, talk to someone. Sometimes people don’t realise how they are making us feel, and talking to them can make a difference because then they may understand and include you next time.

Being lonely doesn’t mean something is wrong with you. It’s a feeling everyone experiences at least once in their life. It happens because life changes. As we grow, our interests change, friendships drift apart, and sometimes it’s just temporary distance and that’s okay. It’s not a flaw. You’re not lonely because you’re “weird”. Sometimes the other person is just shy, busy or going through something themselves.

Last, but not least, this time will pass and things will get better. This lonely phase can be a great time for self-discovery and self-development.

Published in Dawn, Young World, January 10th, 2026