People who aren’t lonely tend to then become lonelier if they’re around people who are. Their inexplicable withdrawal may, in turn, make their close connections feel lonely too. If you’re lonely, you transmit loneliness, and then you cut the tie or the other person cuts the tie. Lonely adolescents exhibit more social stress compared to not lonely ones. Individuals who feel lonely also have significantly higher Epstein-Barr virus antibodies (the key player in mononucleosis).

Source: Forbes February 10, 2017 00:49 UTC