Lonely Girls: How the Pandemic Has Deepened the Isolation of Adolescents - WSJ

Emerson’s family has been more stringent about socially isolating than many of her friends’ families. Seeing her friends plan get-togethers over group texts has only magnified the loneliness.

You mean handing your kid a phone isn’t a solution?

Emerson said she cries a lot because she feels like she’s the only one not seeing friends. Her mother, Erin Christman, feels helpless. “I try not to tell her how much harder this is for people who have lost jobs or relatives because I know for her and her 10-year-old world this is really hard,” Ms. Christman said. “I try to listen and validate her feelings and let her vent and yell and cry.”

Time for a new strategy, Erin.