America's Loneliness Epidemic Hits Kids Hardest
by Joe Waters
Newsweek
March 1, 2024
Americans are lonely.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - MAY 10: A five-year-old migrant girl from Venezuela plays on a swing in the playground at Brands Park on May 10, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois. The field house at the neighborhood park has been converted into a migrant shelter where she is staying with her parents and two brothers. (Read the full caption)
SCOTT OLSON/GETTY IMAGES
This loneliness is not the occasional experience of a solitary, rain-dimmed afternoon. Nor is it something that can be solved by simply having a cup of coffee with a neighbor. It is a profound lack of human connection, rooted deep in our political, social, and economic culture.
The last 40 years have witnessed astounding economic growth, mind-blowing new technologies, and freedom of movement unprecedented in human history. But the cost to human relationships, well-being, and social concord has been catastrophic. One result is the loneliness that pervades our society, which profoundly impacts our youngest children and their families.
Approximately half of the U.S. population reports feeling lonely. At an individual level, this loneliness can manifest as depression, anxiety, alcohol or drug addiction, violence, or despair. At a societal level, it manifests as a politics of tribalism, polarization, and demonization. When people are primed to compete for money and status and to "go it alone," connections among families, neighborhoods, and communities fray. All this leaves many feeling abandoned by the system.
Millennials and Gen Z are among the most affected by loneliness in our society. Among Gen Z, a staggering 73 percent reported constantly or sometimes feeling alone. This is the generation that will soon be becoming parents.
Positive relationships are central to our well-being. They make us who we are, make us happier and healthier, and help us live longer. Scientific research on human development confirms what we have known intuitively for generations: stable, nurturing relationships are the foundation of human flourishing. These relationships and connections start from the very genesis of life. And they depend on the people who care for our children in their early years.