NEBRASKA -- From youth to adults, loneliness has become more common for health officials across the country from a combination of social media, stress, and isolation during COVID have some experts saying it is the loneliest time in human history.

Dr. Zachary Keller, youth psychiatry at CHI Health in Kearney, said while it depends on situations, sometimes removing social media can be helpful for youth.

“Lots of times, we see kids both in the in-patient setting and out-patient to where they don’t have access to this said technology and typically, they tend to do just fine without it," Keller said.

Keller said if that is not feasible, parents should develop boundaries and guidelines for children.

Dr. Harmit Singh, adult psychiatry at CHI Health Mercy Council Bluffs, said some studies show that loneliness can be as dangerous as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.

Loneliness can cause people to become unmotivated and lead to unhealthy habits like eating unhealthy and not exercising. 

Keller said some potential warning signs in children are changes in behavior and parents should be willing to start a conversation with their child.

While parents should be aware of children’s loneliness, Singh said the elderly, those who live alone, and chronically ill are all people to pay attention to.

“A lot of times, we need to target patients of this kind because these are the ones who are most susceptible to medical and psychiatric problems," Singh said.

As far as how to manage loneliness, Singh suggests the five F’s: family, friends, faith, find your cause, and find your third space, which is community engagements that Singh said is not common nowadays.

Keller said children should learn to disconnect from social media and instead engage with those around you and set aside time for the family to slow things down in a fast-paced world.