Luke felt overwhelmed with both pride and grief after dropping his son off at university for the first time.
“It feels like a brutal adjustment,” he says.
“After 18 years of seeing him every day and taking care of him, I miss him so much and I don’t really know what to do with myself.”
Like other parents we have spoken to, Luke (not his real name) and his wife have felt compelled to regularly check a Facebook group for parents and carers with children living in the same halls of residence, as well as a university-wide version with more than 2,000 members.
Social media groups fuelling anxiety
At first, being in these groups felt helpful for practical information, particularly in the weeks before his son headed to university, Luke says. But now they’re feeding his anxiety.
“People will post things like: ‘Is it normal to spend so much time in your room?’; ‘I’m worried my daughter is struggling to make friends’; ‘My child isn’t replying to messages – how often are people hearing from theirs?'”
There have also been questions about Amazon parcel logistics, requests to borrow cereal bowls and what tog duvet other people’s children were given.
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