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The next day, Fran was in class at college, sitting next to her friend, Amy.
“Would you like to come round after college this afternoon?” Fran asked.
Amy was surprised. It was the first time anybody had asked her this. “What for?” she asked.
Fran shrugged her shoulders. “Just to hang out.”
Amy carried on working. “Maybe another time. I like to be alone to watch music and comedy videos on YouTube.”
“Don’t you feel lonely when you’re alone?” asked Fran.
“No. It’s time for me to relax and de-stress from college,” said Amy.
On the bus home, Fran thought about what Amy had said. Fran wondered what the difference between loneliness and being alone was so, when she got home, Fran asked her dad.
He was a bit worried and confused. “Why are you asking me this question?”
Fran replied, “Just asking…”
Fran’s dad was unsure and didn’t want to give his daughter the wrong answer.
“Why don’t you ask your teacher, tomorrow?”
The next day, before class started, Fran asked her teacher but he was really busy.
“Why don’t you do some research about loneliness and being alone on the Internet. If you can’t find anything useful then come back to me.”
At lunchtime Fran went back to her teacher.
“I found something but it’s too technical for me to understand. I was wondering if you could help me.”
“OK, Fran. I’ve found some good advice on this website. It’s called Exposure and young people are talking about loneliness and the benefits of being alone. Here’s the link,” said the teacher, writing it down on a piece of paper.
When Fran got home, she went into her bedroom, got her laptop out and started typing Exposure into the search engine.
She started to read articles about being alone and came cross some interesting information.
Kishen wrote, “I love being alone sometimes. I can listen to a new album, relax, and focus on myself.”
Max said, “After a busy, noisy and sometimes overwhelming day at school I look forward to time alone.”
Emily said, “You need to be alone sometimes and let people that matter know that’s what you need.”
Karolina said, “I would encourage everyone to find some space in their schedule to just do anything, whether it be drawing in your room or taking a walk outside.”
Fran then came up with an idea to make a PowerPoint to present the information on being alone at college to show the other students and teachers that it is not a bad thing to spend time alone now and then.
When Fran was done the teachers and students were clapping and coming up to her asking question. Fran felt happy because she’d helped others understand the benefits of being alone.
Afterwards, Fran’s teacher asked, “Did that help you?”
Fran said, “Yes. Hopefully now everyone will understand that being alone can be good thing.”
Brian likes playing and watching football, dancing and listening to music. When he is older he would like to be a dj, specialising in hip-hop and rap.
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Exposure is an award-winning youth communications charity giving young people in north London a voice. Please support us to continue our work. Thank you.
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