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ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) – Americans are spending less time socializing than they did a decade ago, and the decline is happening across every age group, according to new data. The Centers for Disease Control says loneliness is linked to a range of serious health conditions
The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ newest American Time Use Survey found Americans averaged just 35 minutes of socializing per day in 2025, down from 41 minutes a decade ago. A separate Gallup survey found teens are spending an average of nearly five hours a day on social media apps including TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat
According to a CDC study, loneliness can increase a person’s risk for heart disease, stroke, Type 2 diabetes, depression and anxiety
Marisa Franco, a professor, psychologist and New York Times best-selling author, said the mental health of younger Americans has shifted significantly over the past 15 years
“You know, 15 years ago, the younger people, 15 to 24, they had some of the best mental health, and now they have some of the worst,” Franco said
Franco said social media is functioning as a substitute for real connection rather than a supplement to it
“So, we’re finding ourselves, especially these younger generations, are finding themselves looking to fulfill that need for connection and turning towards social media, which is giving them enough of a false sense of a connection or even distraction from the underlying feelings of loneliness, that they don’t ultimately hit rock bottom enough to reach out and find connection,” Franco said
Franco said the effects of chronic loneliness extend beyond mental health and register physically in the body
“The most commonly cited statistic, chronic loneliness is as toxic as smoking 15 cigarettes a day, which is wild, cause who’s smoking 15 cigarettes a day, but people are spending weeks on end feeling so lonely,” Franco said
Franco said putting down the phone and seeking in-person social connection is one of the most impactful steps a person can take for both mental and physical health
“It is critical. It is the oxygen that we need,” Franco said
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