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. Meanwhile, resurfaced comments from Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. J.D. Vance complaining that the government was being run by “childless cat ladies” who are unhappy they don’t have children drew widespread condemnation from across the political spectrum. Last year, the US Surgeon General released an advisory underscoring the seriousness of loneliness and isolation. While long-term data on loneliness is lacking, recent surveys have found increases in loneliness that predate the pandemic.
