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Loneliness is absolutely an epidemic in our society, but it's been growing for decades. Loneliness is the sense that "I am less connected to other people than I want to be." It's a very subjective experience, and that makes it different too from isolation. So I can deliberately isolate myself and feel great about that, but only you can tell if you're lonely. And the fact is you can be lonely in a crowd. You can be lonely in a marriage. You can also be very content and not lonely alone on a mountaintop. Starting in the 1950s and going all the way through to today, we know that people have been less and less invested in other people. In some studies, as many as 60% of people will say that they feel lonely much of the time. And the lowest estimates are 30-40% of people say they feel lonely. Young adults aged 16 to 24 are the loneliest age group, and then again, among older adults, there is an increase in loneliness, particularly as people lose friends, lose partners.

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Loneliness is / absolutely an epidemic / in our society, // but it's been growing for / decades.// Loneliness / is the sense that "I am less connected to other people than / I want to be." // It's a very subjective experience /, and that / makes it different too / from isolation //. So / I can deliberately isolate myself / and feel great about that, / but / only you can tell if you're lonely.// And the fact / is you can be lonely in a crowd. / You can be lonely / in a marriage. / You can also be / very content / and not lonely / alone / on a mountaintop.// Starting in the 1950s / and going all the way through / to today /, we know that people have been/ less and less invested in other people. / In some studies, / as many as 60% / of people / will say / that they feel lonely much of the time. / And the lowest estimates are 30-40% of people/ say they feel lonely.// Young adults / aged 16 to 24 / are the loneliest age group, / and then again, / among / older adults,/ there is an increase / in loneliness,/ particularly as people lose friends, / lose partners.

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But loneliness is pervasive across the world, across all age groups, all income groups, all demographics. There are so many factors that are responsible for this loneliness epidemic. They did not just begin with the digital revolution. Loneliness was on the rise, as we know, at least from the 1950s in part because of social dislocation we've become a much more mobile society where the networks of family and friends get disrupted as people move for jobs and other kinds of opportunities like education. All of that is good on the one hand, but then it tears us away from the fabric of belonging that many of us are born into and spend much of our lives creating. And there is the world of screens. So when television came into the American home, there was a decline in investing in our communities. People went out less, they joined clubs less often. They went to houses of worship less often. They invited people over less often.

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But loneliness is pervasive / across the world,/ across all age groups,/ all income groups,/ all demographics. // There are so many factors / that are responsible / for this loneliness epidemic. // They did not just begin with the digital revolution.// Loneliness was on the rise, / as we know, / at least from the 1950s / in part / because of social dislocation / we've become a much more mobile society / where / the networks of family / and friends / get disrupted / as people move for jobs / and other kinds of / opportunities / like education.// All of that is good / on the one hand, / but then it tears us away from the fabric / of belonging / that many of us / are born into / and spend much / of our lives creating.// And there is the / world of screens. / So when television / came into the American home, / there was a decline / in investing in our communities.// People went out less /, they joined clubs / less often. // They went to houses of worship / less often./ They invited people over / less often.//