The Friendship Recession
We live in the most technologically connected age in history, and the loneliest. Actually Hangout exists because the people we love are slipping out of reach.
Read the researchThe data
of Americans are lonely.
More than the 12.5% who smoke, or the 42% living with obesity.
By the numbers
The research keeps pointing in the same direction.
Friends
more Americans report having zero close friends than in 1990.
3% in 1990 → 12% in 2021
Mortality
higher risk of premature death from loneliness.
The health stakes are real.
Youth
of young adults report "serious loneliness."
Your generation, in its own words.
Social Media
as likely to feel isolated among heavy social media users.
The anti-social-media paradox.
Cost
in annual Medicare costs tied to social isolation.
A price tag for loneliness.
Trend
loneliness has doubled since the 1980s.
Despite the rise of the internet.
In the words of experts
The research and talks that shaped our thinking. Everything linked. Read it yourself.
The research
U.S. Surgeon General · Vivek Murthy · 2023
Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation
The landmark advisory declaring loneliness a public health crisis. Equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day.
hhs.gov
Daniel Cox · Survey Center on American Life · 2021
The State of American Friendship: Change, Challenges, and Loss
The study that coined the "friendship recession." Men with 6+ close friends fell from 55% to 27%; men with zero friends rose from 3% to 15%.
americansurveycenter.org
Wang et al. · Nature Human Behaviour · 2023
A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of 90 Cohort Studies of Social Isolation, Loneliness and Mortality
2.2M individuals across 90 studies. Social isolation raises all-cause mortality risk by 32%; loneliness by 14%.
nature.com
Twenge, Haidt, Blake et al. · Journal of Adolescence · 2021
Worldwide Increases in Adolescent Loneliness
International data showing adolescent loneliness rose globally starting around 2012, closely tracking smartphone adoption.
jonathanhaidt.com
Cigna / Evernorth · 2020 + 2025
Loneliness in America: U.S. Loneliness Index
Longest-running commercial loneliness index. 2020: 61% of Americans lonely, Gen Z at 79%. 2025: 57% lonely; 52% of workers lonely.
newsroom.thecignagroup.com
Cox & Pressler · AEI · 2024
The Decline in American Friendship
Americans reporting no close friends rose from 12% (2021) to 17% (2024). Identified a growing educational gap: 24% of those with HS-or-less have zero close friends vs. 10% of college grads.
aei.org
Roberts, Young & David · Pers. Soc. Psychology Bulletin · 2024
A 9-Year Longitudinal Study of the Impact of Passive and Active Social Media Use on Loneliness
One of the few true long-term longitudinal studies. Passive scrolling is especially harmful.
journals.sagepub.com
JAMA Network Open · 2025
Global Trends and Disparities in Social Isolation
159 countries, Gallup World Poll data 2009–2024. Global social isolation rose 13.4% over 16 years. The entire increase since 2019.
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
AARP Research · 2025
Disconnected: The Escalating Challenge of Loneliness Among Adults 45-Plus
3,276-person survey. 4 in 10 adults 45+ are lonely (up from 35% in 2018). Men now lonelier than women (42% vs. 37%).
aarp.org
Dragioti et al. · Aging Clinical and Experimental Research · 2025
Loneliness, Social Isolation, and Living Alone: A Comprehensive Meta-Analysis of Mortality Risks in Older Adults
86 prospective cohort studies. The most current synthesis of the loneliness-to-mortality link in the 65+ population.
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
The talks
Robert Waldinger · 2015
What makes a good life? Lessons from the longest study on happiness
44M+ views. The single most-watched talk on social connection ever. Core line: "Good relationships keep us happier and healthier. Period."
TED · 85-year Harvard Study
Jonathan Haidt · 2024
Are smartphones ruining childhood? (TED Talks Daily Book Club)
Haidt in conversation with Elise Hu about The Anxious Generation. The definitive articulation of the phone-based vs. play-based childhood thesis.
TED Talks Daily
Marisa G. Franco · 2023
The secret to making new friends as an adult
Science-backed tips on the "acceptance prophecy" and why effort beats luck in adult friendship.
TED Membership
Kasley Killam · 2025
Why social health is key to happiness and longevity
Positions "social health" as a third pillar alongside physical and mental health. Aligned closely with Actually Hangout.
TED
Rhaina Cohen · 2024
Why friendship can be just as meaningful as romantic love
Based on The Other Significant Others. Argues for elevating platonic partnerships to the same cultural status as romantic ones.
TEDNext 2024
Noreena Hertz · 2020
The Lonely Century: Coming Together in a World That's Pulling Apart
Connects loneliness to structural forces (neoliberalism, gig economy, urban design) rather than individual choices.
5x15
Niobe Way · 2018
Why "boys will be boys" is a myth, and a harmful one at that
Way's research on why boys lose their close friendships in adolescence. Foundational to understanding the male loneliness epidemic.
TEDMED
Juliana Schroeder · 2023
How to fight loneliness: Everyday hacks for a connected life
Berkeley Haas behavioral scientist. The "talking to strangers on the train" research showing we wildly underestimate how much we enjoy connection.
TEDxMarin
Baya Voce · 2016
The Simple Cure for Loneliness
Introduces the "Anchors of Connection" framework: ritualized, recurring time with the people who matter.
TEDxSaltLakeCity
Samuel Stainton · 2018
Lessons about loneliness
First-person perspective on long-term loneliness. An emotional counterweight to the research-heavy talks.
TEDx
Priya Parker · 2018
How to come together in a meaningful way
Based on The Art of Gathering. Shifts the conversation from loneliness-as-problem to gathering-as-solution. A must for anyone building rituals and hangout formats.
TED
Bailey Parnell · 2017
Is Social Media Hurting Your Mental Health?
4M+ views. Earlier, more practical talk widely used in schools. Less about loneliness specifically, but core to the adjacent social-media-harm literature.
TEDxRyersonU
What loneliness does
That's why we built Actually Hangout.