"He resumed this theme in his "Parting Prescription for America," in January 2025, shortly before his term ended. As he emphasizes, and as we've noted previously, social connection has important effects on mental and physical health both through its objective dimensions-the number of relationships and communities, the time we spend with them, and the material supports they offer-and through the subjective sense of connection and belonging, of being loved and cared for."
"The Advisory notes that from 2003 to 2020, Americans' self-reported time spent with friends and in social engagement decreased by two-thirds and one-third, respectively, while time spent in isolation increased by 17 percent. By some measures, half of Americans now report being lonely, with the highest proportions found among young people. Marriage and birth rates are at all-time lows, and religious affiliation and participation, and other forms of civic participation have declined steeply as well."
Social connectedness in the United States has declined across multiple measures, including time spent with friends, social engagement, marriage and birth rates, and civic and religious participation. Self-reported time with friends fell sharply between 2003 and 2020 while time spent in isolation rose. Large shares of the population now report loneliness, especially young people. Loneliness and social disconnection predict worse mental and physical health outcomes, including increased depression, anxiety, unhappiness, and premature mortality. Digital overuse among youth is implicated, and greater policy focus on economic drivers of disconnection is needed.
Read at Psychology Today
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