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Americans face growing loneliness and social disconnection
Surgeon General Vivek Murthy highlights local initiatives tackling rising social disconnection that affects 16% of adults, with health risks including cardiovascular disease and depression.
- In recent years, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy declared an 'epidemic' of loneliness and launched the Knight Foundation–backed Together Project to support local community groups.
- Worsening polarization, economic pressures and the pandemic have driven rising social disconnection, while scholars cite social media's shift to an isolating endless scroll, Murthy said.
- Pew's 2024 survey found about 16% of adults feel lonely most of the time, while recent reports show two in 10 have no close friends outside family and four in 10 have at most one person to depend on.
- Health reports warn that isolation and loneliness increase public-health risks including cardiovascular disease, dementia, depression and premature mortality, with people with lower education and incomes facing the sharpest impacts.
- Long-Term membership and trust declines mean memberships in civic, religious and labor groups fell while trust dropped since 1972, creating a backdrop for Weave: The Social Fabric Project at the Aspen Institute.
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49 Articles
49 Articles
The Fort Morgan Times+48 Reposted by 48 other sources
Americans face growing loneliness and social disconnection
By PETER SMITH, Associated Press It’s been called an “epidemic” of loneliness and isolation. The “bowling alone” phenomenon. By any name, it refers to Americans’ growing social disconnection by many measures. Americans are less likely to join civic groups, unions and churches than in recent generations. They have fewer friends, are less trusting of each other and less likely to hang out in a local bar or coffee shop, recent polling indicates. Gi…
Coverage Details
Total News Sources49
Leaning Left3Leaning Right4Center34Last UpdatedBias Distribution83% Center
Bias Distribution
- 83% of the sources are Center
83% Center
C 83%
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