Christmas is supposed to be a happy time with family and loved ones but for some people, it might be the loneliest time of the year. A study suggests 1 out of 10 millennials are lonely during Christmas. It was also reported that millennials are twice likely to be lonely during Christmas than elder people.
This sad reality is rooted from financial stress from underpaid works which affects almost half of the millennials, coupled with the high expenses and the need to portray a perfect Christmas celebration through social media. Most millennials compare their Christmas with friends among their age group. Previously, it was reported that such behavior could lead to depression due to "unrealistic social comparisons."
In a survey conducted by Mind as part of its Christmas campaign. It was revealed that 10 percent of millennials ages 25-34 has no one to spend Christmas with. This is significantly higher to the 5 percent in people ages 65 and above.
From 2,037 participants, it was also revealed that almost half of the millennials (48 percent) worry about their finances during Christmas, compared to 18 percent in elder people. 35 percent of the millennials also contemplate on what they fail to achieve during the year in this festive holiday, leading to depression and more worryingly, the attempt to harm self.
Overall, millennials were considered as the age group who responds most negatively about Christmas. However, millennials are also found to shoulder their grievances alone. 10 percent said they would not ask others for help due to fear of getting judged. Eight percent also answered they considered committing suicide.
"As social beings, most of us feel the need for rewarding social contact and relationships," Stephen Buckley, head of information at Mind told metro.co.uk. "At Christmas, existing problems seem even bigger - if you are lonely, it can highlight how lonely you are and make you feel that you should be socializing," he added.
