How leaders can deliver the social connection most of us crave

"At first glance, that statistic might seem to confirm a familiar narrative about modern life. People are isolated. Communities have weakened. Technology has replaced relationships. But the data tells a more precise story. Most Americans want connection. Many are actively looking for it. What they are running into instead are systems that make connection hard to access and harder to sustain."

"That is one of the central findings of The Six Points of Connection 2026: The State of Connection in America report, released by the US Chamber of Connection. Drawing from a nationally weighted survey of 1,997 adults, the report introduces the Social Connection Index (SCI), a behavior-based index grounded in six everyday connection behaviors and the conditions that support or hinder them (see #2 below)."

Fifty-two percent of U.S. adults fall into at-risk or vulnerable ranges tied to lower access to relationships, support, and shared places. The Social Connection Index (SCI), based on a nationally weighted survey of 1,997 adults, measures six everyday connection behaviors and enabling conditions. Most Americans want connection and many seek it. Systemic barriers, life transitions, and cultural shifts make connection hard to access and sustain. The challenge reflects systems and infrastructure failures rather than lack of motivation, and requires clearer pathways, shared language, and better-designed social infrastructure.

Read at Big Think