Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ)
Year 12 students are coming to the end of their formal schooling. Many are having graduation ceremonies at the moment ahead of their final exams.
Over the next few months, some school leavers might find their friends are travelling overseas while others are beginning new jobs. Maybe some classmates are moving to different towns or cities to study or work.
As young people begin to move into this new life stage, they might feel their school friendships and wider networks are becoming more distant or disconnected. They may feel lost or lonely.
What do we mean by loneliness?
Loneliness happens whenever a person feels a discrepancy between their desired and actual connections.
It’s different to social isolation, which involves a person having objectively fewer social contacts, social roles, and relationships. And it’s different from being alone, which is an objective experience of being physically removed from other people.
What the research says
When students finish school, we know they are at a vulnerable age.
In Australia, survey data suggests 43% of young people aged between 15 and 25 years experience loneliness.
A separate Norwegian study looked at how people aged between 13 and 31 years experienced loneliness. It found feelings of loneliness tended to increase in people aged 18–25. The research also suggests those who viewed their parents as caring, who maintained close friendships, and who lived in their family home until they were 18 years old experienced less loneliness.
What contributes to loneliness in high school leavers?
Completing Year 12 is a major milestone. After graduation, young people enter an often enjoyable, but also challenging, period of new experiences.
They fall into a developmental category known as emerging adulthood. It’s a time when young adults are exploring their identities, forming worldviews and figuring out how to navigate love, work and friendships.
Research suggests loneliness can emerge during this stage of life due to social transitions and the expectations young people place on themselves as to what their lives as adults should look like.
But big changes aren’t all doom and gloom. Major life transitions offer young adults opportunities to grow as they begin to experience life without the familiar structure of school.
However, if you are experiencing loneliness during this time, there are things you can do to improve your sense of connection.
Be courageous and put yourself out there
Building meaningful connections requires time and commitment. This means young people sometimes need to be brave and put themselves out there. This can look like inviting friends for regular catch-ups, or saying yes to more invitations to connect with new colleagues at work or classmates at uni.
Join social clubs
Research shows engaging with your local community can reduce feelings of loneliness.
After you finish high school, you can become more involved in community activities by joining a local sports team, a theatre club, a book club or maybe a Dungeons and Dragons group. Finding people with shared interests can be a great way to develop connections in an environment that feels comfortable for you.
Use social media intentionally
Social media use can create a false sense of connection and lead to loneliness. Scrolling on Instagram or TikTok might make a young person feel like they’re in the loop, but it can lead them to make more comparisons between themselves and others. Research suggests young people who use social media for two or more hours a day are more likely to feel lonely that those who don’t use it.
This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use social media at all. It can be helpful for establishing and maintaining connections, especially if your friends live far away.
But it’s important to set boundaries when using social media. Some ways you can do this include:
-
setting time limits for apps
-
turning off social media notifications.
-
following social media accounts that inspire you, and muting or blocking accounts that make you feel bad.
Seek additional support
If you want to connect but are finding it challenging, it may not be an issue of motivation. Research shows, for some young adults who are persistently lonely, their brains change the way they process social situations.
Some common signals this might be happening, include:
-
a persistent low mood and irritability
-
negative self talk, such as “I’m unlikable” and “no one here notices me”
-
trouble sleeping
-
feeling worried or concerned about talking to people or socialising
-
wanting to make connections but feeling fearful or sensitive to rejection.
If you are feeling really disconnected, and it’s impacting your health and wellbeing, it’s important to reach out to a professional for help. They can help you understand more about the difficulties you might be experiencing.
If this article has raised issues for you, or if you’re concerned about someone you know, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.
I provide consultation to Ending Loneliness Together as a trainer for its community health and loneliness programs.
Original source: https://analysis1.mil-osi.com/2026/09/22/year-12-students-can-feel-lonely-after-graduating-heres-how-to-stay-connected/