Millions of people suffer from loneliness. In fact, a recent study showed that more than 12% of Americans don’t have a single friend, and more than 20% of the population has no friends or family they can count on whenever they need them. This is especially prevalent among the elderly, who no longer have access to socialization in the work environment. With the U.S. population numbering around 336 million, you would think we wouldn’t suffer from a lack of people in our lives. Naturally, the COVID lockdown is partially to blame for today’s loneliness epidemic, with nearly half of Americans reporting that they have lost touch with at least a few friends. However, the pandemic isn’t the only reason the U.S. is stuck in the no-friend zone. Other factors include the fact that people are marrying later than before and traveling more, two trends that are linked to self-isolation. Modern Americans are also spending twice as much time with their kids than previous generations did, which has relegated other relationships to the sidelines. Throw in the fact that free time is increasingly consumed by work for many Americans, and it’s no wonder that we’re experiencing a "bestie deficiency."
