Middle age is a crowded time. It\u2019s also a lonely one. Work and family demands leave little time for nurturing friendships, particularly for women.<\/p>\n
Pre-pandemic, conversations about loneliness often centered on men, with talk of a \u201cloneliness epidemic.\u201d But during lockdown, Generation X women, who range in age from 41 to 57 years old, reported the sharpest rise in loneliness, according to a survey of more than 1,000 adults conducted in the spring of 2020 by the Roots of Loneliness Project, a research organization. And the increase in social isolation reported by women living with children was also greatest among those from Gen X, according to an unpublished portion of the survey shared with The Wall Street Journal.<\/p>\n
For women feeling burned out from holding family life and work together, social media has typically been the most convenient place to vent and seek connection. But going online has surfaced feelings of inadequacy and loneliness, many say.<\/p>\n
Read it all<\/a>.<\/p>\n Middle age can be lonely. Moms in this often overlooked age group are struggling to find meaningful connections. \u201cSocial media has made me feel less isolated, but more lonely,\u201d one said https:\/\/t.co\/BT00ByollP<\/a><\/p>\n — The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) January 23, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n \n