Loneliness epidemic seen in teens: How school programs might help
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — According to the U.S surgeon general, the health impact of loneliness can be the same as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.
After being isolated during the pandemic, research is saying being around others is more important now than ever.
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For teens, joining a club can help.
Key Club International is the world’s largest student-led organization around the globe.
It gives local students an opportunity to assist with their local community and its needs. Along the way, students build relationships with their peers at every outing.
“We certainly have examples each and every year of students that come to us and say, ‘My freshman year, I didn’t know anybody. I didn’t know where to start. I was so lonely. I didn’t have any friends. I didn’t know where to fit in. And I saw the sign for Key Club and I went to a meeting and people were nice to me and they talked to me and I came back and I came back again and suddenly they were their club president’,” Michelle Study-Campbell, Executive Director of Kiwanis Youth Programs said.
Volunteering for local food banks, animal shelters, and cleaning up litter helps students team-build and feel they’re apart of something bigger.
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“They work together to plan and implement community service projects to help alleviate that need. And when they come together in community to do something bigger than themselves, they reap the benefits of increased self-confidence, self-esteem, and really overall better feelings of self and mental wellness,” Study-Campbell said.
In California, there are over 600 Key Clubs and Bakersfield hosts several.
With this school year wrapping up, now can be the time to see what your local chapter is doing for next semester.
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