Curated hangouts help students in the Garden District beat loneliness
THE GREEN LINE
ORIGINAL STORY
CURATED HANGOUTS HELP STUDENTS IN THE GARDEN DISTRICT BEAT LONELINESS
The Green Line team visited Toronto Metropolitan University to learn how students are combating isolation in the city.
Nadia Barbosa, co-founder and CEO of Tandem Experiences, on the Toronto Metropolitan University campus.
: Amanda Seraphina/The Green Line.
Amanda Seraphina James Rajakumar
Indian immigrant with a post-grad in journalism from Centennial College. Now living in Grange Park, meeting new people, and hearing different stories. Has four names, so it’s a pick-your-player situation.
October 18, 2024
School is back in full swing and students are juggling classes, life and work. But all work and no play can leave you feeling empty. That's why one company in the Garden District is trying to combat loneliness with curated hangouts.
At Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU), there are more than 46,000 students — and for some, it can feel lonely in a crowd.
"Meeting new people is not easy. You come in thinking like it's gonna be like high school. It's not. I'm trying to talk to people in my classes mostly, but other than that, it's been a struggle," says Elisa, a first-year student at TMU.
Last year, Toronto Foundation, a funding organization that connects philanthropists to community needs and opportunities, found that our city is one of the loneliest in Canada. Forty-four per cent of Gen Zs between the ages of 18 and 24 reported feeling lonely at least three days a week.
Students studying in cubicles at Toronto Metropolitan University.
: Amanda Seraphina/The Green Line.
"Last year we launched our Toronto's Vital Signs annual research report and…our major finding was that 37 per cent of Torontonians reported feeling lonely on a regular basis. Now, as you compare that to other parts of the country — the average in Canada — what we found was that not only is Toronto the largest city in the country, it's also among the loneliest," says Mohamed Huque, director of community impact at Toronto Foundation.
"When we drill down further into youth in particular, 44 per cent of youth feel lonely on a regular basis.”
Huque adds that a significant number of people are feeling socially isolated, and this impacts not only their mental health, but society as a whole because people who feel lonely disengage from broader community and civic life. The Vital Signs report found a nearly 30 per cent reduction in group activities, such as sports and rec programs hosted by the city. Visits to the Toronto Public Library are also down by about 30 per cent since the pandemic.
Students make friendship bracelets for each other at a Tandem Experiences event at the Fifth Social Club in Wellington Place.
: Amanda Seraphina/The Green Line.
Students look to resources like TMU's Wellbeing initiative, low-cost therapy at Hard Feelings, and platforms like Tandem Experiences, which help them build social connections.
“I was personally motivated to start Tandem Experiences with my co-founders because I wanted to scratch my own itch,” says Nadia Barbosa, co-founder and CEO of Tandem Experiences. "It can be quite challenging as a student to meet like-minded people, people that you really connect with.”
“It was during my MBA [at TMU’s Ted Rogers School of Management] that I met my co-founders, Mariel and Orion. And we started to work on solving the problem of creating experiences to bring people together in person."
Tandem helps members find people and experiences that fit their vibe, from dinner parties for foodies to art and culture clubs for culture vultures. Students can also hang out across the city using Tandem’s curated travel guides.
Since the company launched last year, more than 5,000 users, including fourth-year TMU student Jarryd Alles, have joined.
Jarryd Alles, a student at TMU works on his iPad inside the university’s student centre in the Garden District.
: Amanda Seraphina/The Green Line.
"People don't have time. It's hard to find…a social group that you vibe with. Tandem kind of is a good filter for that. It's a filter for, I guess, people who actually want that meaningful connection with people," Alles says. "It gives you a good scope of the city in terms of hot spots to meet these people."
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