Americans Are Becoming More Socially Isolated, but They’re Not Feeling Lonelier

Social media may be keeping people from feeling lonely—at least for a while

Alone in the crowd, but not lonely. Realstock/shutterstock

Are Americans becoming lonelier?

On May 1, NPR reported on a survey about loneliness conducted by Cigna, a large health insurance company. Cigna asked more than 20,000 American adults if they agreed with statements like “People are around me but not with me” and “No one really knows me well.” The survey found that younger Americans were lonelier than older Americans.