Amy Ray, who regularly spent time away from her native Canada in Swansea, said she was finding it “frustrating” as she found it difficult to make new friends.
The 29-year-old said she often spends time with her boyfriend while studying abroad in Wales, but struggles to find someone with similar interests.
After she began documenting her efforts to meet people on TikTok, Amy realized she wasn’t alone in her feelings after a video went viral.
“I was feeling a little frustrated because it was difficult and I was like, ‘Okay, I have nothing to lose,'” she said.
Amy posted videos of herself meeting strangers for walks on the beach at sunset, visiting board game cafes, and visiting local art classes.
“The art class video seemed interesting because there were a lot of older women in the group and I couldn’t find anyone,” she said.
The video went viral, especially among other young people who felt the same way as Amy.
“On that video alone, there were probably thousands of comments from people saying they were having a hard time making friends,” Amy said. “I’ve never seen so much interest.”
She then started a Facebook group for people going through the same experience, which has now grown to thousands of members.
Online groups dedicated to encouraging people to step out of their comfort zone and meet others are starting to grow in popularity, with apps like Bumble BFF and Meetup being used solely for the purpose of making friends.
Professor Andrea Wigfield, director of the Center for Loneliness Research at the University of Sheffield, said she could see these apps becoming the norm in the same way dating apps had become popular.
”[You can have] “You can connect with hundreds of people, but if you don’t have one meaningful relationship with someone, you can feel lonely,” she said.
According to the End Loneliness Campaign, 49.63% of UK adults reported feeling lonely sometimes, sometimes, often or always in 2022.
“Young people tend to lack the confidence to go out and actually make contact and develop friendships and even start conversations with other people,” Professor Wigfield said.
“We see online apps facilitating that.”
Swati Padmanabhan, 25, who lives in Swansea and works from home, joined Amy’s Facebook group after struggling to make friends herself.
“I didn’t know anyone when I moved here, but now I have a great group of people,” she said.
“Working from home can be very tiring, especially at the end of the day when you don’t have meetings or socialize with people.
“Having someone to go out with and do things outside of work is really good, especially from a mental health standpoint.”
According to a study by the Co-op Foundation, 62% of lonely young people say feeling lonely makes them feel less confident.
For Amy, meeting friends online gave her a way to reach new communities.
“I know a lot of people are lonely, but here it’s often dark and rainy at times of the year. So you’re always stuck inside and don’t have anyone to do things with. If so, it could be quite disastrous.
“It feels good to know people are coming out.”
