New numbers show that people are hanging out less than ever before with others - and that time spent socializing is now going toward screen time.
A new survey from the Bureau of Labor Statistics found that in 2025, Americans spent 35 minutes a day socializing. A decade ago, people spent 41 minutes.
Meanwhile, a Gallup poll says teenagers spend nearly five hours a day on social media.
"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," says Marisa Franco, a psychologist and author.
Franco says chronic loneliness is as toxic as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.