Loneliness and the Breakdown of Sisterhood: A Call to Gen Z
It might seem ironic that in a time where we are more digitally connected than ever, so many are silently aching for real connection. Gen Z is growing up with constant exposure to curated lives, viral content, and highlight reels—but that doesn’t always translate to feeling seen, held, or truly understood.
Loneliness among women is rising. Even in lives filled with social interaction, the depth is often missing. It's not uncommon to have dozens of online friendships but feel unsure who to call when your heart is heavy. Or to be surrounded by people in real life and still feel like you're performing.
One of the most painful losses we’re seeing in 2025 is the breakdown of sisterhood. Not the aesthetic kind of #girlgang sisterhood, but the deeply rooted, emotionally safe, intergenerational kind. The kind where you can cry without needing to explain. Where you're held accountable with love, not judgment. Where you don’t need to shrink, dim, or pretend to be perfect.
And here’s the truth: for many Gen Z women, deep female friendships feel risky. Because comparison and competition were planted young. Social media made us believe there are only so many spots at the top. That beauty, talent, and success are limited resources. That if she shines, there’s less space for me.
But it’s not even just social media interactions that cause harm. It’s the hours spent scrolling in the digital void, passively consuming content designed to trigger insecurity, envy, or inadequacy. We’re not connecting, we’re comparing. Not dialoguing, but dissociating. This kind of overstimulation exhausts our emotional capacity and leaves little room for real world intimacy.
This thinking breeds subtle (or not so subtle) rivalry. It creates quiet insecurity and unsaid distance. It pushes us to scroll each other’s lives instead of stepping into each other’s presence. And when we do open up? Many of us carry trauma from friendships that hurt us instead of healed us. The betrayal of girlhood friendships still lingers, making it hard to trust again.
But here’s the thing: we need each other more than ever.
We need friendships that feel like exhale. We need older women who will share wisdom instead of competing. We need younger women who remind us of curiosity and freedom. We need circles that don’t judge pain, that celebrate individuality, and that call us into softness when the world feels too hard.
Rebuilding Sisterhood: A New Way Forward
There is no algorithm that will build sisterhood for us. It starts in the small, brave moments we choose to show up as we are. Here are a few ways to begin that rebuilding:
Slow Friendships: Let trust build over time. Deep friendships don’t come from viral moments but from repeated presence. There’s power in consistency. In showing up, again and again, even when it’s quiet, even when it’s messy.
Be Honest First: Vulnerability invites vulnerability. Share the messy truth of your life without apologizing. When you go first, you give others permission to be real too.
Ask Different Questions: Move past "what do you do?" to "what's been on your heart lately?" Deeper conversations start with more thoughtful questions. Curiosity can be a bridge to closeness.
Don’t Bond Over Hate: Gossip can feel like connection, but it drains trust. Choose conversations that inspire, that uplift, and that make space for complexity, not comparison.
Make Time for Rituals: Sisterhood thrives in rhythm. Start a weekly tea night, send voice memos, celebrate seasonal gatherings. Ritual doesn’t need to be spiritual to be sacred—it just needs to be intentional.
This generation has the power to rewrite what female friendship looks like. Not as something performative or perfect, but as something powerful and healing. Because sisterhood isn’t just about connection. It’s about survival. And revival. And it begins with saying: I want more than surface. I want truth. I want depth. I want us.
