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loneliness

Health

More people say that weekends feel 'different' and they'd rather stay home than go out.

Solitude might be the new normal. But perhaps it isn't serving us.

@christinakdub/TikTok, @thefriendshipexpert/TikTok (used with permission)

Not wanting to go out on the weekends could be a symptom of "learned loneliness"

Is your picture of an ideal weekend staying at home, noshing on snacks and television rather than actual peopling?

If the answer is yes, you’re not alone. Well, you might be physically, but not in your preference to be antisocial Friday through Sunday.

Recently, a woman named Christina Kwong admitted in a TikTok clip that weekends felt “different” now, that she was perfectly content with “a slice of cake and a maybe can of sparkling water” in lieu of going out.

She wondered if others felt the same, and whether this was just a result of getting older or some bigger phenomenon.

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Pop Culture

Woman gets emotional while admitting she feels 'so jealous' seeing girl best friends

Her tearful confession elicited a lot of responses from other women who felt a similar loneliness.

@via..li/TikTok

"It's a different kind of pain."

From the gal pals in “Sex & the City,” to besties Romy and Michelle, to even a casual scroll through #bffsforever on social media, we are inundated with images of female friendships brimming over with glamor, intimacy, laughter, connection…sort of like the grown-up version of sugar, spice and everything nice.

And while it’s lovely to see examples of women lifting each other up rather than putting each other down, it can feel painfully isolating for the many women who simply don’t have those types of friendships.

Loneliness is something that nearly every person deals with in some capacity due to our increasingly technology-driven, post-COVID world, but it’s the particular juxtaposition of girl squads constantly showing up in pop culture against the very different reality of many, if not most, women that is its own unique type of suffering. Friendships, friendships everywhere, but not a drop to drink lattes with.

This is why so many women are resonating with a TikTok NYC-based Via Li made after seeing two girlfriends chatting at a cafe and feeling intense longing for that type of platonic relationship.
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Yellowjackets actor Juliette Lewis.

Not that she ever really left the spotlight, but the iconic Juliette Lewis has recently reached a new chapter in her stardom thanks to her role of Natalie in Showtime’s obsession-worthy new series “Yellowjackets.”

Her social media is filled to the brim with excited fan theories, juicy behind-the-scenes questions and enthusiastic character appreciation posts. There’s no question about it; people love her performance as the tough, haunted, shotgun-savvy Nat.

But fun “Yellowjackets” trivia isn’t the only thing Lewis talks about with her following. She recently posted an Instagram Q&A with the caption, “I know some things ‘bout livin, love-ASK ME.”

One fan wrote, “ a lot of times I feel alone and like no one is there for me.”

Lewis’ advice for overcoming loneliness is something I think bears repeating.

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"Man Park" on YouTube

“It’s not their fault masculinity makes intimacy so hard.”

This was a line from a recent "Saturday Night Live" sketch, aptly titled “Man Park.” The premise: A girlfriend is so concerned that her male partner has no friends, that she takes him to the “Man Park” to socialize. ”It’s like a dog park, but for guys in relationships.” Like a cute clumsy puppy, the boyfriend (Pete Davidson) plays with other “breeds” as the women cheer from the sidelines. Finally, the boyfriend gets to bond with his fellow males over Dave Matthews, Marvel, and Rick and Morty. You know … guy stuff.

That sketch might be hilarious, but it is touching on the very real loneliness that men experience. If you have any doubts, just take a look at some of the comments to the video:

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