We live in a society where a significant chunk of the population feels painfully alone much of the time. It is an epidemic that has enormous mental, emotional and spiritual implications, and it is one of the clearest signs that we are a society that is coming apart at the seams. One of the primary reasons why there is so much loneliness in our society is because the institution of the family is in decline. Today, the proportion of the population that is single and childless is at an all-time high, and the proportion of the population that is married with children is at an all-time low. How can anyone possibly claim that we are headed for a bright future when we are facing such alarming societal trends?
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 40 percent of Americans report feeling lonely at least some of the time…
The latest version of the US Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey — a broad gauge of the economic and social issues affecting American households — found some not-so-surprising news: Americans are lonely.
The survey conducted between August 20 and September 16 reported that 1 in 8 people (12.6%) was feeling lonely either “always” or “usually,” including nearly a quarter (23.3%) of the younger population (those aged 18 to 29). Since the Household Pulse Survey at the start of the year, slightly more people are now feeling lonely a lot of the time. 40% of people reported feeling lonely at least sometimes.
Those are very troubling numbers.
But of course others that have studied our epidemic of loneliness have come up with similar numbers.
In fact, a report put out by the U.S. Surgeon General concluded that close to half of the U.S. population experiences feelings of loneliness…
Last year, the US Surgeon General released a worrying report about the deep sense of loneliness that many Americans are experiencing. The report, “Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation,” found that approximately 50 percent of adults in the country are feeling lonely, and that people of all ages are spending significantly less time with others.
The findings have profound implications for the health of the country. Being lonely or socially isolated puts people at heightened risk for a number of serious illnesses—the report estimates it to be the health equivalent of smoking fifteen cigarettes a day—including depression, cardiovascular disease, and dementia.
Those that feel lonely on a regular basis are far more likely to develop serious illnesses, and they are far more likely to die early.
So this is a crisis that we should be taking very seriously.
One survey actually discovered that the proportion of men that do not have any close friends has increased “fivefold since 1990”…
Who are the loneliest people in America?
American men were said to be in a “friendship recession,” with a survey finding the number of men without any close friends increased fivefold since 1990.
Have you ever wondered why so many older Americans seem so sad much of the time?
Well, now you know.
People are yearning for human connection, and Google search trends prove this…
So it’s no wonder there’s been a rise in running clubs, knitting groups, pickleball, and more, as people search — quite literally — for ways to meet new people. Google searches for terms like “how to meet people” and “where to make friends” are at or near an all time high.
Somewhere along the way, something has gone horribly, horribly wrong.
And I believe that it starts with the institution of the family.
In 1940, just 7.7 percent of all U.S. households were one person households, but by 2020 that figure had jumped to 27.6 percent…
Over a quarter (27.6%) of all U.S. occupied households were one-person households in 2020, up from just 7.7% in 1940, according to recently released 2020 Census data.
The share of people living alone increased every decade from 1940 to 2020 (Figure 1). The largest increase happened between 1970 and 1980, when the share increased from 17.6% to 22.7%.
We were not meant to live alone.
But now more Americans than ever are doing just that. Just look at this insane chart…
Sadly, this decade that trend has continued.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, right now 29 percent of all U.S. households are one person households…
In 2024, there were 38.5 million one-person households, which was 29% of all U.S. households. In 1974, one-person households represented only 19% of all households.
The reason why there are so many one person households now is because almost half of all U.S. adults are not married…
From nationalsinglesday.us, “Did you know that 46.4% of U.S. adults are single according to the U.S. Census Bureau? That’s 117.6 million unmarried Americans – nearly every other adult aged 18 and over. This includes those who are divorced or widowed as well as those who have never married. National Singles Day is observed each year during Unmarried and Single Americans Week.”
More than ever before, Americans are rejecting traditional norms regarding marriage and family.
In fact, the proportion of the population that is single and childless now exceeds the proportion of the population that is married with children. A chart that Brad Wilcox just posted absolutely blew me away…
The chart above makes it abundantly clear that we are a dying society.
Our birth rate has been under replacement level for a long time because so many Americans don’t want to get married and don’t want to have children.
Sadly, our entire culture has become anti-marriage, anti-family and anti-children to a very large degree.
If we do not reverse the insidious trends that have corrupted our culture, we have no hope of defeating the epidemic of loneliness that we are currently facing.
Humans are meant to love and to be loved, and that is one of the reasons why the traditional family unit is an absolutely vital societal institution.
Michael’s new book entitled “Why” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can subscribe to his Substack newsletter at michaeltsnyder.substack.com.
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