Americans of all ages are spending less time socializing

Americans are socializing less than they did twenty years ago, according to new data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Daily socializing time has dropped from forty-five to thirty-five minutes—and the decline cuts across every generation. Young people took the biggest hit: teenagers and twenty-somethings went from an hour a day with others down to just thirty-five minutes. Several forces are driving this. We're tethered to our smartphones—and while social media feels social, it doesn't replace face-to-face time. Teens spend nearly five hours daily on apps like TikTok and Instagram. Remote work normalized staying home. Our homes are bigger and more comfortable, streaming is endless, and food delivery removes any reason to go out. At the same time, gathering spaces are shuttering at record rates: libraries, coffee shops, churches, and museums have all closed en masse over the past decade. It matters. Researchers say loneliness affects everything from what we believe to how long we live.

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