The prophet of American loneliness on the world that produced Trump and his message to Gen Z: 'You didn't cause this problem, we caused this problem' | Fortune

"In an address on youth well-being, political scientist Robert Putnam, whose prescient 2000 book Bowling Alone predicted a quarter-century-long decline in American community, laid out a sweeping historical diagnosis worthy of his unofficial title: "the modern prophet of American loneliness." Speaking at a recent Dartmouth-United Nations Development Programme symposium, the Harvard Kennedy School professor linked decades of social disintegration directly to the rise of populist authoritarian figures like Donald Trump-as well as to Gen Z's struggles with anxiety and poor mental health."

"(Bowling leagues are down by "roughly 95% over the last now half century," Putnam told symposium attendees.) This decline means Americans have become "disengaged from social connections," which comes with profound consequences. Joining just one group can cut one's chances of dying over the next year "in half," Putnam argued, while the effects of prolonged isolation can impact the very stability of democracy itself."

"Putnam argued in Bowling Alone about the importance of what he calls "social capital," which is the value of social networks and the norms of reciprocity and trustworthiness that arise from them. He said he sees low social capital and social isolation as dynamics that fundamentally "bought us Trump." He noted this connection was recognized by Steve Bannon, a member of Trump's inner circle and a fan of Putnam's work."

A long-term decline in social connection and civic engagement has reduced social capital across the United States. Participation in institutional and communal activities — exemplified by a roughly 95% drop in bowling-league participation over the last half-century — has fallen sharply. Low social capital and social isolation increase vulnerability to authoritarian, populist appeals and can erode democratic stability. Social disengagement correlates with poorer mental health, especially among Gen Z, and with higher mortality risk; joining just one group can halve an individual's chance of dying over the following year. Prolonged isolation carries profound societal consequences.

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