You may know exactly what your friend group is up to, thanks to their Instagram stories and Snapchats, but there’s no substitute for a good old-fashioned long phone convo or in-person hang—something you may be inspired to do after learning about the findings of a new survey of over 20,000 people. Apparently, American adults are a very lonely bunch!
Conducted by healthcare provider Cigna, the survey found that over half of Americans describe themselves as lonely and two out of five people say they lack companionship, their relationships aren’t meaningful, and they are isolated from others.
Over half of Americans describe themselves as lonely.
The survey also found that loneliness is affecting teens and young adults more than in the past, too, though the researchers are quick to point out that they didn’t necessarily find a correlation between social media use and loneliness. “Respondents defined as very heavy users of social media have a loneliness score that is not markedly different from the score of those who never use social media,” the study reads.
Still, it’s motivating to start making quality time with your favorite people a priority, if it’s not already. Sure, everyone’s “busy” and it’s become acceptable to cancel plans at the last minute, bailing on friends, but why? Studies show spending time with friends is as important to your health as getting in your daily sweat. And hey, those mocktails aren’t going to drink themselves.
Speaking of loneliness, here’s what you need to know about how FOMO affects your health. And here’s one ritual that can help build long, healthy friendships.
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