More Than 50% of Gen Z College Students Report Feeling Lonely According to Sodexo Student Lifestyle Survey
August 15 2022 - 09:00AM
Sodexo, a leader in quality, multichannel, and flexible food
experiences, conducted the 2022 iteration of its Student Lifestyle
Survey, a foundational research tool conducted for more than 15
years. This year’s survey concentrates on the expectations,
concerns, and challenges faced by today’s Gen Z college students
and high school students planning to attend college.
“While today’s students acknowledge the support being provided
by their schools’ administrations, this generation has been
impacted in unprecedented ways by the pandemic and other major
world events and many are still struggling. Of the approximately
one-third of students who have considered dropping out, 60% cite
physical and mental health as their number one reason, up
significantly from 2020, replacing financial problems as the top
reason,” Jeni Golomb, senior vice president, product and marketing
strategy of Sodexo North America, said. “Our study provides
insights on how to combat this ever-rising concern of mental health
decline, including the importance of socialization provided by a
campus dining hall.”
The report categorizes the student insights into four main
dimensions: resilience, social success, financial well-being, and
physical health. Some of the key findings include:
- 53% of current college students reported that they are
currently concerned with feeling lonely, and 47% reported they are
concerned with feeling isolated.
- Over 60% of today’s college students report having felt
overwhelmed and anxious, a 50% increase from 2020. 87% of current
college students say that eating together is the most typical way
that they socialize with friends, and more than 50% expect their
campus’s dining hall to serve as that place to connect.
- Current college students are impacted by the stress of
financial insecurity, with four out of five students reporting that
they are concerned about money and 41% admitting to having skipped
a meal to save money.
- Half of all current college students surveyed reported that
they are concerned about the state of their overall health, with a
majority saying they know they should eat healthily but don’t let
it dictate their lives. They also see value in meal plans
that help prioritize convenience and time-saving
options.
- When deciding which university to attend, 82% of current
college students seek out a friendly atmosphere where they feel
they “fit” – convenience, attractive and welcoming campus, and a
positive tour set the stage.
“We have the opportunity to be allies for student resilience. We
can build community in our dining halls, offer students resources
to help them proactively manage their mental health, provide
affordable meal plans with access to convenient, healthy food, and
offer students opportunities to step out of their comfort zones and
grow more resilient,” Golomb said. “Above all, we can keep
researching and listening to our students to offer tangible
improvements in their lives both on and off campus.”
This report was developed using research conducted in
collaboration with Finch Brands. As part of this research, 490 U.S.
university and college students completed the Sodexo Student
Lifestyle Survey, and 207 high school students participated in a
secondary survey. In addition, ten current college students and
four high school students participated in 60-minute qualitative
interviews to gain deeper insight into student perceptions.
About Sodexo North America
Sodexo North America is part of a global, Fortune 500 company
with a presence in 55 countries. Sodexo provides quality,
multichannel and flexible food experiences, but also designs
attractive and inclusive workplaces and shared spaces, manages and
maintains infrastructure in a safe and environmentally friendly
way, offers personalized support for patients or students and even
creates programs fostering employee engagement. The company employs
90,066 people at thousands of sites in all 50 U.S. states, Canada,
Puerto Rico and Guam, and indirectly supports tens of thousands of
additional jobs through its annual purchases of $20B in goods and
services from small to large businesses. Sodexo North America is
committed to focusing on tangible everyday gestures and actions
through its integrated services to create a better every day for
everyone and build a better life for all.
Amanda Giffi
Sodexo
Amanda.Giffi@Sodexo.com
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