Insights from Americans on Isolation

Studies have associated feelings of loneliness with an increased likelihood of illness and early mortality, prompting the U.S. Surgeon General to declare it an “epidemic” in a 2023 advisory calling for Americans to emphasize social connections and community bonds. In “Loneliness in America: Just the Tip of the Iceberg?,” a report produced by the Making Caring Common Project at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education, investigators discovered that 21 percent of U.S. adults experience loneliness, with many expressing feelings of disconnection from their communities and the broader world.

We consulted Milena Batanova, the research and evaluation director at Making Caring Common and a contributor to “Loneliness in America,” to assist us in crafting the following quiz based on the research’s results.

Step 1 of 8

12%

1. How much time do Americans typically dedicate to socializing or communication each day?

17 minutes

34 minutes

50 minutes

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74 minutes

2. How much more susceptible to a stroke are individuals who regularly undergo chronic loneliness compared to those who are not frequently lonely?

15 percent

34 percent

56 percent

75 percent

3. Insufficient social connectedness could pose health risks equivalent to smoking up to 15 cigarettes daily.

True

False

4. Based on Batanova’s study, which demographic category reveals significant variations in loneliness rates?

Income

Education

Political affiliation

Gender

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5. Multiracial adults tend to experience less loneliness.

True

False

6. Who or what do Americans hold primarily responsible for the loneliness epidemic?

A highly individualistic society

Individuals lacking the ability to create or maintain meaningful connections

Technology

Decline of family dynamics

7. What do individuals believe is the most significant approach to alleviate loneliness?

Learning self-love

Finding a romantic partner

Participating in online communities

Reaching out to relatives or friends

8. Lonely adults are more inclined to claim a lack of purpose in their lives compared to those who are less lonely or not lonely at all.

True

False

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