One in five parents of Generation Alpha children, those born from 2010 to 2024, said their kids are struggling to make new friends.
In a recent study from the University of Michigan Health C.S. Mott Children's Hospital polled 1,031 parents of children aged 6 to 12. In the survey, they found that 19% of parents are concerned their children currently have no friends or not enough acquaintances.
By age group, parents of children in 5th and 8th grade were more likely (20%) to say that their children struggled to make friends compared to the parents of younger children in kindergarten to 4th grade (14%).
In addition, 90% of parents said their children had expressed an interest in making more friends.
The report comes as the US is battling a loneliness epidemic that was seen even before the lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
Why Are Children Struggling To Make Friends?
The study asked the participants why they believed their children were struggling to make friends. At least 21% of parents said their child was either too shy or socially awkward, 18% said their kid did not have enough time to make friends, and 16% said there were too few places for children to play or get together.
Other reasons cited by parents include:
Children already have their own friend groups (17%)
Other children being mean (15%)
Their child's disability or medical condition (7%)
Their child's appearance (3%)
What Are Parents Doing To Help Children?
Fortunately, 71% of parents surveyed said they were taking steps to help their children foster relationships with their peers. These efforts include signing their children up for extracurricular activities, offering advice, and befriending parents who have kids the same age as their own.
Additionally, 16% of parents said they allowed their child to use social media to connect with their peers, while 10% said they bought items that would allow their child to "fit in" with other kids.
Parents of younger children in kindergarten to 4th grade were more likely to arrange playdates and befriend other parents compared to the parents of children in 5th to 8th grade.
