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By BOAMPONG ADJEI CLARA
You are surrounded by friends, family members and classmates, yet you still feel alone.
You scroll through social media and see pictures of friends at parties, outings and other gatherings. Everyone appears happy, but you were not there. A simple question may cross your mind: “Why wasn’t I invited?”
For some young people, moments like these can turn into feelings of rejection, sadness and isolation.
Loneliness is not always about being physically alone. A person can be surrounded by many people and still feel that no one truly understands or cares about them.
Ghana has a large youth population. According to the Ghana Statistical Service’s 2021 Population and Housing Census, young people aged 15 to 35 accounted for 38.2 per cent of the country’s population, representing more than 11.7 million people.
This makes the experiences and well-being of young people an important issue to consider, including how they build friendships and maintain meaningful relationships.
When Loneliness Sets In
For some people, loneliness begins with something as simple as feeling left out.
A young person may open their phone and see pictures of friends enjoying themselves without them. Although the pictures may not tell the full story, they can create feelings of exclusion.
The person may begin to ask:
“Do they really consider me a friend?”
“Why wasn’t I invited?”
“Does anybody really care about me?”
When these questions continue to occupy the mind, loneliness can become more difficult to ignore.
Having Friends Does Not Always Mean You Feel Connected
Having many friends does not necessarily protect a person from loneliness.
Anna, a young woman, says having friends does not always mean that she feels cared for.
I care about my friends, but sometimes I don’t think they care about me in return. You can feel the worst kind of loneliness when you are surrounded by friends but do not feel loved or needed.
Her experience shows that loneliness can be connected to the quality of relationships rather than simply the number of people around us.
Social Media and the Feeling of Being Left Out
Social media has made it easier for people to communicate and keep up with friends. However, it can also expose people to carefully selected images of other people’s lives.
A person scrolling through social media may see friends attending events, travelling, celebrating birthdays or spending time together. Without knowing the full story behind those posts, it can be easy to feel excluded.
Andrea says:
Some people collect friends the way others collect figurines. But having many online friends does not necessarily mean you have meaningful relationships.
Research published in 2025 in the Ghana Social Science Journal found differences in how young people and older adults use social media, including differences in their reasons for using these platforms and how they experience them. The study also examined social media use in relation to reconnecting with people and alleviating loneliness.
Constant Communication Is Not Always Connection
A person may receive messages throughout the day and still feel lonely.
Lord, a young man, explains:
Sometimes, when you are lonely, you keep checking your phone to see if any of your friends have sent you a message. When nobody contacts you, it can make you feel even worse.
This suggests that what people may need is not simply more messages or followers but meaningful relationships where they feel heard, valued and understood.
What Can Be Done?
Loneliness can affect anyone, but there are practical steps people can take to build stronger social connections.
1. Build Self-Confidence
Low self-confidence can make it difficult for people to approach others or start new friendships.
Learning to appreciate yourself and recognising your strengths can make it easier to interact with people and develop healthy relationships.
2. Avoid Self-Pity
Feeling lonely is not a reason to blame yourself.
Instead of constantly asking why nobody cares, a person can take small steps towards building connections. This could mean starting a conversation with a classmate, joining a group or reaching out to someone they trust.
3. Choose Friends Carefully
Loneliness can make people desperate for attention. This can sometimes cause them to accept friendships that are unhealthy or harmful.
Young people should therefore look for friendships built on trust, respect, honesty and genuine care.
A Mother’s Perspective
For Mrs. Rebecca, loneliness is not simply about being physically alone.
According to her, a person can be surrounded by many people and still feel lonely if they do not have someone they can genuinely connect with.
She also believes that people should not expect everyone they meet to become their best friend.
Not every person is going to be your best friend forever, but you will find people who care about you. And care is enough. That is what helps keep loneliness at bay.
Her view highlights the importance of meaningful relationships rather than simply having a large number of friends.
Conclusion
Loneliness is an experience that can affect people regardless of their age, popularity, relationship status or number of friends.
A person who appears happy may be struggling privately. Someone with hundreds of followers may still feel disconnected, while someone who is always surrounded by friends may simply want one person who genuinely understands them.
The solution may not be to have more people around us, but to build more meaningful relationships.
For young people, creating spaces where they can communicate openly, form genuine friendships and support one another can help reduce feelings of isolation.
Sometimes, what a lonely person needs is not a crowd, but one person who genuinely cares.