The Covid-19 pandemic, and the subsequent measures to slow that deadly cough, were mostly shouldered by the youth. Kids locked out of schools, college students packed up and sent home, fresh graduates just into the workforce told to utilize food delivery applications while NOT leaving their small apartments while checking in on various video conference applications for job tasks.
As such, an almost debilitating loneliness has taken hold. In 2023, the Surgeon General of these United States replaced the Covid with social isolation as the new epidemic, National Public Radio reporting, “5-24 spend 70% less time in person with friends than those of the same age did in 2003. This difference amounts to nearly 1,000 fewer hours per year.”
The dating application Hinge, seeing altruism-washed hard cold dollars, decided to expand its operation to create social circles as those who don’t have friends “end up bringing long checklists of needs to a potential partner. It can be too much for a relationship to bear,” according to the company’s Director of Social Innovation Josh Penny.
“As a brand that focuses on Gen Z, we were really alarmed to learn about just how much the loneliness epidemic was impacting them,” he added for good measure.
As such, Hinge involved the Foundation for Social Connection which, in turn, fingered surfing as a nice place for people to get to know each other.
Elementary school teacher Genesy Mendez, 29, was one such Gen-Zer who didn’t know how to make friends so joined a surf group called Intersxtn Surf, described as “a group for women of color who surf together” and credited it with “making new, meaningful friendships.”
Soon, she was even dating a man who did not come from the surfing group and also refuses to participate in this Sport of Kings.
“It’s not necessarily something that my partner wants to engage in but that’s OK,” says Mendez. “Surfing is just for me — and my friends.”
Getting that socially isolated localism vibe down.
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