Colman Noctor: I have never heard so many young people complain of loneliness

When I was a child, we had visitors calling to our house most nights unannounced... now we don’t have visitors or visit others without at least a week’s notice

Screen-based technologies significantly contribute to young people’s isolation, along with the fallout from covid. Picture: iStock

In the past, I often used these words with teenagers in therapy sessions: “I understand that school can be challenging, but college will be a different world for you. You’ll find your tribe, meet like-minded people, and things will start looking up.” 

I said them with conviction, having seen numerous young people who struggled in secondary school thrive in third level. However, given the post-pandemic changes in college life, I’ve hesitated to make these promises in recent years.