Surgeon General warns of loneliness epidemic, noting 16% of adults feel isolated. In Pittsburgh, Kentucky, Baltimore and Akron, groups are rebuilding bonds.
The Loneliness Crisis
The United States faces a growing social disconnect, a trend that the Associated Press has labeled an “epidemic” of loneliness and isolation. 2024 data from the Pew Research Center shows that about 16% of adults-roughly one-quarter of those under 30-report feeling lonely or isolated all or most of the time. The trend is reflected in other measures: just under half of Americans attended a religious congregation in 2023, a low point tracked by Gallup since 1937; only 10% of workers belong to a union, down from 20% four decades earlier; and about 40% of adults have at most one person they could rely on for a $200 loan or a place to stay.
Surgeon General’s Call to Action
In a 2023 advisory, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy described the loneliness crisis as an “epidemic” comparable to past public-health warnings on smoking and obesity. He warned that isolation and loneliness are risk factors for cardiovascular disease, dementia, depression, and premature mortality. Murthy praised local initiatives-from potluck dinners to service projects-and announced the Together Project, backed by the Knight Foundation, to accelerate such efforts. He said, “What we have to do now is accelerate that movement.” He also cautioned that social media, once intended to build community, can now “actively contribute to loneliness” by turning into an endless scroll of performance and unattainably perfect body types.
Grassroots Responses Across the Country
Across the nation, small organizations and informal groups are stepping in to restore neighborly ties. In Pittsburgh, a ministry is pursuing “trauma-informed community development.” A Kentucky cooperative supports small farmers and their surrounding communities. Baltimore hosts an intentional neighborhood community, while Akron, Ohio, is home to groups focused on neighborhood restoration. The Aspen Institute’s Weave: The Social Fabric Project offers a searchable database of volunteer opportunities and an online forum for “weavers”-community builders who seek training and support.
“We’re seeing people who are still in every community deciding that it’s up to them to bring people together,” said Weave’s executive director Frederick J. Riley.
Numbers That Show the Gap
- 16% of adults feel lonely or isolated all or most of the time.
- 10% of workers are in a union, down from 20% four decades ago.
- 50% of adults regularly spend time in a public space in their community, down from about two-thirds in 2019.
- 20% of U.S. adults have no close friends outside of family.
- 30% of adults have at least six close friends, down from nearly half in 1990.
- 40% of Americans have at most one person they could rely on for a $200 loan or a place to stay.
- 25% of adults say most people can be trusted, down from about half in 1972.
These figures illustrate a stark class divide: those with lower education and income levels report fewer close friends, fewer civic gathering places, and fewer people who could help in a pinch.
The Legacy of “Bowling Alone” and the Future of Civic Life
Robert Putnam’s 2000 book Bowling Alone coined the term to describe the decline in civic engagement, including the shrinking of bowling leagues. Putnam and Shaylyn Romney Garrett’s 2020 follow-up, The Upswing, notes that while some organizations have grown, participation often feels looser-contributing via newsletters rather than regular meetings. Daniel Cox, director of the Survey Center on American Life, argues that the drive for personal autonomy has made Americans “allergic to institutions.” He co-authored the 2024 report Disconnected: The Growing Class Divide in American Civic Life, which highlights how unbounded personal autonomy can create social problems.
Key Takeaways
- A Surgeon General advisory labels loneliness an epidemic, with 16% of adults reporting isolation.
- Local groups-from Pittsburgh to Akron-are actively rebuilding community bonds.
- National statistics show a decline in religious attendance, union membership, public-space engagement, and trust.
The ongoing crisis underscores the need for community-building initiatives, and the current wave of grassroots efforts offers a hopeful counterpoint to the nation’s growing isolation.
