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Combatting Loneliness in an Online World: How the Performing Arts Builds Community
The University of Cambridge recently found that loneliness in adolescents is on the rise. However, performing arts classes are the perfect antidote to isolation as performing as a cast encourages teamworking and collaboration and fosters community. Read on to find out more.
The BBC recently covered a new study which revealed that many teenagers and young people are “very sensitive” to loneliness and are using coping mechanisms to deal with these feelings. The study, led by the University of Cambridge, found that these coping mechanisms included “interaction with others, playing online games and sometimes drugs and alcohol”. In an increasingly online world, the value of community, human interaction and in-person groups cannot be overstated. This is where we feel extracurricular activities, such as Stagecoach, can combat adolescent loneliness to prevent unhealthy coping strategies.
The Impact of Community Groups
Young people are facing many challenges in this day and age, not only are they growing up and tackling school stress, but they’re also facing a world with constantly evolving technology, and a news climate that can feel overwhelming and frightening. This means giving them an opportunity to connect with others, especially outside of their regular home and school circles, gives them a chance to step away from the overstimulation of phones and connect with others on a human face-to-face level. It’s an opportunity to park the news, school stresses and anything else that is on their minds and be in the moment.
As well as creating community, extracurricular activities can give young people an outlet to express themselves, throw themselves into hobbies they enjoy, and to feel successful at something outside of their school studies. These activities often form much healthier coping mechanisms to loneliness and stress than some of the ones uncovered in the study.
The Performing Arts: A Secret Social Superpower
At Stagecoach, we know the ways that the performing arts can help children and young people develop core skills that can help them have more fulfilling social interactions.
These skills include:
- Empathy – by exploring character in drama class, young people learn to relate to others unlike themselves as they discover how to consider other points of view and lived experiences
- Confidence – as students develop their self-confidence through taking part in performing arts activities, they may find it easier to tackle any awkward or anxiety-inducing social interactions
- Leadership and teamworking – students are encouraged to work as a group on performances, exercises and games as well as use their own creativity to make character decisions or come up with their own choreography. This shows them how to lead a group, and how to feel confident enough to stand out from the crowd when necessary.
Creating Meaningful Social Interactions
The BBC article also touched on social media and its mixed effects on loneliness. The study found that being able to interact with others through social media did make the adolescents in the study feel less isolated but that social media “did not fully protect emotional wellbeing”. This means, a balance of screen time and developing skills to have strong connections with their peers in-person is important for reducing loneliness.
In today’s society, it can be difficult for parents, carers and teachers to know how best to support young people as they tackle their key formative years. As educators outside of the mainstream school system, we are proud that our schools provide students with another outlet for their energy, and an additional opportunity to spend time with other people their age. For many students who attend our classes, learning to sing, dance and act is secondary to building confidence and making new friends. Many students report meeting lifelong friends at Stagecoach, and some also share that it gives them the freedom to have fun and take a break from the stressors in their lives. Phones are not permitted in Stagecoach classes, in part for this reason. Having time away from their screens and social media gives young people an opportunity to be present and to focus on collaborating and talking to their peers in person.
If you would like to see how our classes can help your child with combatting loneliness, make new friends, build new skills or to help them find a creative outlet, search your postcode to find your nearest school.
