It\u2019s been called an \u201cepidemic\u201d of loneliness and isolation. The \u201cbowling alone\u201d phenomenon. By any name, it refers to Americans\u2019 growing social disconnection by many measures. Americans are less likely to join civic groups, unions and churches than in recent generations. They have fewer friends, are less trusting of each other and less likely to hang out in a local bar or coffee shop, recent polling indicates. Given all that, it\u2019s not surprising that many feel lonely or isolated much of the time.
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By PETER SMITH, Associated Press<\/strong><\/p>\n Such trends form the backdrop to this Associated Press report on small groups working to restore community connections. They include a ministry pursuing \u201ctrauma-informed community development\u201d in Pittsburgh; a cooperative helping small farmers and their communities in Kentucky; an \u201cintentional\u201d community of Baltimore neighbors; and organizations seeking to restore neighborhoods and neighborliness in Akron, Ohio.<\/p>\n In 2023, then Surgeon General Vivek Murthy reported on an \u201cepidemic of loneliness and isolation,\u201d similar to his predecessors\u2019 advisories on smoking and obesity. Isolation and loneliness aren\u2019t identical \u2014 isolation is being socially disconnected, loneliness the distress of lacking human connection. One can be alone but not lonely, or lonely in a crowd. But overall, isolation and loneliness are \u201crisk factors for several major health conditions, including cardiovascular disease, dementia, depression, and premature mortality,\u201d the report said. Murthy says he\u2019s encouraged by groups working toward social connection through local initiatives ranging from potluck dinners to service projects. His new Together Project, supported by the Knight Foundation, aims to support such efforts. \u201cWhat we have to do now is accelerate that movement,\u201d he said. The pandemic temporarily exacerbated social isolation. There\u2019s been some rebound, but often not back to where it was before.<\/p>\n Harvard\u2019s Robert Putnam, 25 years ago, described the decline in civic engagement in a widely cited 2000 book \u201cBowling Alone.\u201d It was so named because the decline even affected bowling leagues. The bowling wasn\u2019t the point. It was people spending time together regularly, making friends, finding romantic partners, helping each other in times of need. Memberships in many organizations \u2014 including service, veterans, scouting, fraternal, religious, parental and civic \u2014 have continued their long decline into the 21st century, according to a follow-up analysis in \u201cThe Upswing,\u201d a 2020 book by Putnam and Shaylyn Romney Garrett. While some organizations have grown in recent years, the authors argue that member participation often tend to be looser \u2014 making a contribution, getting a newsletter \u2014 than the more intensive groups of the past, with their regular meetings and activities.<\/p>\n Certainly, some forms of social bonds have earned their mistrust. People have been betrayed by organizations, families and religious groups, which can be harshest on their dissenters. But disconnection has its own costs. \u201cThere\u2019s been such a drive for personal autonomy, but I think we\u2019ve moved so far past wanting not to have any limits on what we can do, what we can believe, that we\u2019ve become allergic to institutions,\u201d said Daniel Cox, the director of the Survey Center on American Life and a senior fellow in polling and public opinion at the American Enterprise Institute. \u201cI\u2019m hoping we\u2019re beginning to recognize that unbounded personal autonomy does not make us happier and creates a wealth of social problems,\u201d said Cox, co-author of the 2024 report, \u201cDisconnected: The Growing Class Divide in American Civic Life.\u201d<\/p>\n Some argue that Putnam and others are using too limited a measurement \u2014 that people are finding new ways of connecting to replace the old ones, whether online or other newer forms of networking. Still, many numbers depict an overall decline in connection. This hits hardest on those who are already struggling \u2014 who could most use a friend, a job referral or a casserole at the door in hard times. Those with lower educations, which generally translates to lower incomes, tend to report having fewer close friends, fewer civic gathering places in their communities and fewer people who could help out in a pinch, according to \u201cDisconnected.\u201d<\/p>\n Across the country, small organizations and informal groups of people have worked to build community, whether through formal programs or less structured events like potluck dinners. Murthy will continue to be visiting such local groups in his \u201cTogether Project,\u201d supporting such efforts. Another group, Weave: The Social Fabric Project at the Aspen Institute, has a searchable database of volunteer opportunities and an online forum for connecting community builders, which it calls \u201cweavers.\u201d It aims to support and train them in community-building skills. \u201cWhere people are trusting less, where people are getting to know each other less, where people are joining groups less, there are people still in every community who have decided that it\u2019s up to them to bring people together,\u201d said its executive director, Frederick J. Riley.<\/p>\n The growing social disconnection among Americans is a pressing issue that affects not only individuals but also the community and the nation as a whole. The decline in civic engagement, the rise of loneliness and isolation, and the erosion of trust are all symptoms of a larger problem. However, there are also many efforts underway to address this issue, from local initiatives to national programs. By supporting and amplifying these efforts, we can work towards building stronger, more connected communities and promoting a sense of belonging and purpose among all Americans.<\/p>\n Q: What is the main cause of social disconnection in America? Introduction to Social Disconnection It\u2019s been called an \u201cepidemic\u201d of loneliness and isolation. The \u201cbowling alone\u201d phenomenon. By any name, it refers to Americans\u2019 growing social disconnection by many measures. Americans are less likely to join civic groups, unions and churches than in recent generations. They have fewer friends, are less trusting of each other […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":26378,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_lock_modified_date":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-26376","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-health-wellness"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/www.dailynews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Social_Disconnection_Photo_Essay_52399.jpg?w=1400px&strip=all&w=1400&resize=1400,933&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/los-angeles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26376"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/los-angeles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/los-angeles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/los-angeles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/los-angeles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26376"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/los-angeles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26376\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26379,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/los-angeles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26376\/revisions\/26379"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/los-angeles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26378"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/los-angeles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26376"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/los-angeles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26376"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/los-angeles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26376"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Loneliness and its Health Risks<\/h2>\n
Bowling Alone, More Than Ever<\/h2>\n
A Reaction Against Institutions<\/h2>\n
By the Numbers<\/h2>\n
\n
Exceptions and a Stark Class Divide<\/h2>\n
Responses to the Crisis<\/h2>\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n
FAQs<\/h2>\n
\nA: The main cause of social disconnection in America is a complex and multifaceted issue, but some contributing factors include the decline of civic engagement, the rise of social media, and the erosion of trust in institutions.
\nQ: How can we address the issue of social disconnection?
\nA: We can address the issue of social disconnection by supporting local initiatives and national programs that promote community building and social connection, such as the Together Project and Weave: The Social Fabric Project.
\nQ: What are the health risks associated with social disconnection?
\nA: The health risks associated with social disconnection include cardiovascular disease, dementia, depression, and premature mortality.
\nQ: How can individuals get involved in addressing social disconnection?
\nA: Individuals can get involved in addressing social disconnection by volunteering with local organizations, participating in community events, and supporting initiatives that promote social connection and community building.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"