25 years after a Harvard professor told America it was 'bowling alone,' the loneliness epidemic is starker than ever | Fortune

"Isolation and loneliness aren't identical - isolation is being socially disconnected, loneliness the distress of lacking human connection. One can be alone but not lonely, or lonely in a crowd. But overall, isolation and loneliness are "risk factors for several major health conditions, including cardiovascular disease, dementia, depression, and premature mortality," the report said. Murthy says he's encouraged by groups working toward social connection through local initiatives ranging from potluck dinners to service projects."

"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. Given all that, it's not surprising that many feel lonely or isolated much of the time."

Americans show growing social disconnection across multiple measures, including lower membership in civic groups, unions and churches, fewer friends, reduced trust and less frequent local socializing. Isolation means being socially disconnected; loneliness is the distress from lacking human connection. Both are risk factors for cardiovascular disease, dementia, depression and premature mortality. The Surgeon General called the situation an epidemic and supports local restoration efforts through initiatives like the Together Project. Examples include trauma-informed community development in Pittsburgh, a cooperative aiding small farmers in Kentucky, an intentional Baltimore neighborhood community, and neighborhood-restoration work in Akron. The pandemic worsened isolation and recovery remains incomplete.

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