"It's great, but it takes an effort," Samtur told Business Insider. That means that right now, Gen Z and baby boomers, in particular, might be experiencing a strange juxtaposition: They're happy and lonely at the same time. "So people feel maybe a little less happy with their lives in midlife, but it doesn't mean you're also feeling lonely." "Overall, people tended to be more lonely, just persistently lonely, if they had less education, had lower income, and poor health," Graham said. Some Gen Zers pay for social connections through activities like fitness memberships.

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Persons: Harry Samtur, Samtur, doesn't, Gen, Eileen Graham, Graham, Donna Basztura, Basztura, —, she's, we've, Batszura, Zers, didn't, Preeti Malani, Joan Hendrix, couldn't, I've, Hendrix Organizations: Service, Business, Northwestern University, Gallup, Harvard Graduate School of Education, University of Michigan Locations: Minnesota, Germany, Australia, midlife, Florida