The term “Loneliness Epidemic” is often used in today’s discourse to summarize the mass isolation people have reported feeling — whether it’s due to the lack of third-spaces, a dissatisfying dating market, rising political polarization or decreases in the marriage and birth rates. Often, these alarmist reports point to Gen Z’s divergent trends in comparison to previous generations. Some of these sensational headlines read “Gen Z is drinking less alcohol,” “Gen Z isn’t going to the club” and “Gen Z is having less sex.” Ironically, the data is pointing in the opposite direction of what the term literally says: Loneliness is not spreading; rather, social connections are shrinking, and they have been for a long time. Trends of diminishing social lives began in the 1960s, and Gen Z is left holding the ball.

Institutions have only recently begun to analyze this phenomenon and attempted to curb it. In 2025, the World Health Organization released a report, “From loneliness to social connection: charting a path to healthier societies,” that found one in six people experienced loneliness globally, with rates highest among adolescents and the elderly. The physiological stress loneliness causes doesn’t just contribute to the risk of anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation, but to cognitive decline, cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes and stroke. These rates additionally contribute to declining social trust, poorer academic performance and lower productivity in the workplace. However, the WHO wasn’t the first on the scene.

Dr. Vivek H. Murthy, the U.S. Surgeon General — the highest political office a doctor can attain — published a report back in 2023 titled “Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation” where he discussed the same issue. He writes how social engagement has declined in recent decades, even before the COVID-19 pandemic, and about how half of U.S. adults reported feeling lonely, with higher rates among young adults. Some of the results include a decline in time spent interacting face-to-face with friends, a decreased  number of one’s friends, an increase in time spent alone and a decrease in time spent in community organizations such as churches, unions and volunteer groups. The health risks associated with loneliness increases the likelihood of a premature death by 29-32%, which he compares to smoking 15 cigarettes a day, and exceeds the risk of obesity and a lack of physical activity. While this report was more data and policy-heavy to reflect the reach of his position, Murthy’s previous work on the subject was delivered more as a memoir. Dr. Murthy’s 2020 book, “Together,” was written about Americans’ healthcare concerns and issues when he toured the country in the beginning of his career. He wrote about a “hidden” epidemic of loneliness where reports came from groups he didn’t expect to be experiencing loneliness, such as CEOs, politicians, high-achieving students and physicians. However, even his book wasn’t the first to report on the breakdown of social connections.

In 2000, Richard Putnam published “Bowling Alone,” which charted the decline of many facets of social life beginning in the 1960s to 2000. His data reveals declines in the percentage of eligible adults voting, attending public meetings on town or school affairs, membership in the PTA, percent who served as officers or on a committee for local clubs or organizations, weekly church attendance, non agricultural union membership, having friends over at least twice a month, family dinners, percentage of national income given to charity including religious organizations, adult and teen trust for others,  fraction of the population in rural living, self-reported physical condition and health. So, these trends in declining social lives have been occurring for over half a century and aren’t as new as they may feel.

From all the contributing factors that these sources recognize, I especially would like to highlight and synthesize the contributions that technology had in worsening the trends. Advances in transportation allowed Americans to live further away from their families which puts greater strain on their relationships. The distance between family members makes it harder for young people to start their own families, since they lack the vital support. Additionally, new residents are less likely to get involved with their new community which weakens the cohesion of the whole. Innovations in entertainment, such as television, also shrink social connection. Time spent watching television is negatively correlated with all the types of community involvement mentioned above, and every new generation spends more time on screens than the last. Tech companies are aware that time spent with other people means less time spent on their screens. As a result, social media accomplishes the opposite of its stated purpose, as those who spend more time on those apps report more social isolation. Additionally, any communities built online are vulnerable to fracture under “cyberbalkanization” where users’ algorithms constantly show them the content they want and usually agree with, pulling them deeper into a loop of ever-shrinking groups and polarizing views. What began as opportunity and entertainment became a crutch and eventually a parasite fighting to keep our attention. That’s why it’s called “paying attention”: choosing economic opportunity, the passive consumption of entertainment or relishing in the act of online public shaming over maintaining the bonds of a community has left Americans with less. Previous generations have left us to foot the bill.