America has a loneliness problem, and it's affecting younger generations at alarming rates.
Just 17% of U.S. adults under the age of 30 report feeling "deeply connected to at least one community," according to a recent poll from The Institute of Politics at Harvard Kennedy School. The survey polled 2,096 Americans throughout the country between the ages of 18 and 29 years old.
Less than half of young Americans polled feel that they have a sense of community anywhere. And almost 1 in 3 are still searching for a sense of belonging or feel they just don't have one.
The cause of this loneliness epidemic isn't easy to pinpoint, experts say. Some people blame social media for the high levels of isolation, and others believe it's a systemic issue and has more to do with concerns about the state of the future.
"This is a generation that's weathered pandemic isolation during formative years, entered an unstable economy, and faced skyrocketing housing and education costs — all while being told they're not resilient enough," said John Della Volpe, the director of polling at the Institute of Politics, in the survey's release.
Although the source of the problem isn't obvious, experts like Kasley Killam, a Harvard-trained social scientist, are offering solutions on how to increase feelings of social connectedness.
In Killam's "The Art and Science of Connection," she suggests the 5-3-1 guideline, a research-backed method for maintaining social fitness.
Similar to getting your 10,000 steps in for physical fitness, here's how you can practice Killam's social workout plan.
Try this social workout plan to feel socially connected
"The 5-3-1 guideline is meant to be like a reference point for people," Killam told CNBC Make It in June of 2024.
To follow the guideline, you should:
- Connect with five different people every week
- Maintain at least three close relationships
- Have one hour of quality interaction daily
"Those numbers might be high or low for a given person," Killam said. "But in general, drawing from the research on the amount of time and amount of relationships that people have who are really thriving, that's a great starting point."
A popular Harvard study, that's still ongoing, has spent the past 87years tracking the health records of more than 700 participants to determine what leads to a long, happy life. The No. 1 thing the study found was that the happiest people who live the longest have positive relationships and maintain social fitness.
Social fitness involves fostering healthy personal relationships that are balanced, according to Marc Schulz and Robert Waldinger, directors of the Harvard Study of Adult Development.
Schulz and Waldinger suggest having different friends for different things. Ideally, aim to have someone, or more than one person, that can help you strengthen each of these areas:
- Safety and security
- Learning and growth
- Emotional closeness and confiding
- Romantic intimacy
- Identity affirmation and shared experience
- Help (informational and practical)
- Fun and relaxation
And don't let fear stop you from putting yourself out there to get closer to the people in your life or meet new people, they suggested in an article they wrote for Make It in February of 2023.
"Whether it's a thoughtful question or a moment of devoted attention, it's never too late to deepen the connections that matter to you."
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