Being alone
Overview
Bocchi (ぼっち, Japanese slang for a loner) is short for hitori-bocchi, "all alone," and refers to being by yourself in a group, or to a person who is. It's often used to stress being alone in situations where people normally act as a group, as in "alone at lunch break" or "alone on the school trip."
The word has a negative nuance: "has no friends" or "is isolated." In recent years, though, a culture that sees time alone in a positive light has been spreading, with ideas like "enjoying eating alone" and "solo activities." Being alone and feeling lonely are not necessarily the same thing.
Being alone and question boxes
A question box can be a valuable way to communicate for people who are often alone. Even if you don't have the courage to talk to someone in class, you can send a question when you're anonymous. Even if you can't get into a friend group, you can connect with someone through a question box.
On the answering side, too, experience of being alone can be a strength. People who spend a lot of time alone spend a lot of time facing themselves. That depth of reflection can lead to a flavor in their question box answers that's all their own. Answers from people who are good at "having fun in a big group" and answers from people who are good at "thinking things through alone" differ in quality. It's not that one is better; each has its own strengths.
Being alone isn't a bad thing
The stereotype that "being alone = pitiful" is tied to peer pressure. You have to be with everyone; being alone is embarrassing. This pressure can push even people who actually like being alone to force themselves into groups.
Sometimes a question box gets a question like "I'm always alone. What should I do?" One answer is: "If being alone is hard for you, let's think together about how to change it. But if being alone isn't hard for you, there's no need to force a change." If you're choosing to be alone, that's a perfectly respectable choice. The problem isn't being alone itself; it's the atmosphere around you that makes you feel embarrassed about it.