Childline has seen a 14% rise in the number of children contacting the charity about loneliness.

In 2017/18, the charity delivered 4,636 counselling sessions on loneliness, compared to 4,063 the year before.

Nearly 80% of sessions went to girls. Some said watching their friends socialise without them on social media made them feel increasingly isolated.

This is the second year loneliness data has been recorded – it used to go down as “low self-esteem” or “unhappiness”.

The youngest person to call with the problem was just 10 years old.

One teenage boy told Childline: “I see all my friends having a good time on social media and it gets me down, I feel like no one cares enough to invite me.

“My mood is getting worse and now I’m just upset all the time and can’t stop crying.”

– BBC News

Read more: Childline: More Children Seeking Help for Loneliness

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