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This is more than just a food venture.
This is about working towards a purpose.
We are experiencing a global epidemic of loneliness.
Prevalence of Loneliness
While precise estimates of the rates of social connection nationally can be challenging because studies vary based on which indicator is measured, when the same measure is used at multiple time points, we can identify trends.
Multiple studies have concluded that 20 - 50% of Americans reported that they had serious feelings of both social-emotional and existential loneliness. Americans now spend 73% less time together with their friends than they did two decades ago. So it should be of no surprise that more than 60% reported that they don’t feel part of meaningful groups, don’t have enough close friends or family, feel fundamentally disconnected from others, and are not able to find communities that they feel really a part of, and that their place in the world does not feel important or relevant. These numbers reflect more than just data, they represent a worldwide issue that is seen across all age groups, races, genders, and socioeconomic statuses.
Reported as past 30 days of feeling frequently” or “always” lonely (MCC, 2024)
Age
- 30—44 years of age (29%)
- 18—29 year-olds (24%)
- 45—64 year-olds (20%)
- 65 and older (10%)
Socioeconomic
- Less than $30K a year (29%)
- $30—49K a year (21%)
- $50—100K (19%)
- More than 100K (18%)
Trends in despair by age group and gender in the US from 2020 to 2022 using Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (n=459,151) surveys based on “Regarding your mental health, for how many days during the past 30 days was your mental health not good?”
- 19.4% reported 5 or fewer
- 14.5% reported 20 or fewer days
- 7% reported exactly 30
Overall, the (weighted) incidence of despair nearly doubled from 3.7% in 1993 to 7% in 2023.
Cost of Lost Social Connection
Social disconnection carries serious consequences for individual health and for society. It is linked to reduced workplace productivity, lower academic performance, and declining civic engagement. Loneliness increases the risk of premature death by 26%, and social isolation by 29%.
Decline in Health
Across 16 longitudinal studies, poor social relationships (isolation, lack of support, loneliness) were linked to a 29% higher risk of heart disease and a 32% higher risk of stroke. The deterioration of mental health, especially among young people, is a major cause of increased hospital admissions. Among children aged 8 to 16, the prevalence of mental disorders rose from 12.5% in 2017 to 20.3% in 2023.
Emergency department visits for mental health issues in children aged 0–17 increased by 11% from 2016 to 2019. Suicide is now the fourth leading cause of death among 15–29-year-olds. Between 2017 and 2020, suicide death rates among those 12 and older rose 16%, with the rate doubling among 12–17-year-olds, increasing from 3.7 to 6.3 per 100,000. Social isolation is estimated to cost tens of billions in excess medical spending each year.
Depression, anxiety and behavioral disorders are among the leading causes of illness and disability among adolescents
Prevalence of a probable mental disorder in children aged 8 to 16 years
- 12.5% in 2017
- 17.1% in 2020
- 17.7% in 2021
- 19.0% in 2022
- 20.3% in 2023
What Causes the Loss of Connection
The decline of social connection is not new. It has been unraveling for decades. While today, 2025, there are many possible reasons that could play a role in this growth of loneliness, there were some common factors that came up constantly in these studies:
Extensive use of social media
Insufficient time with family
Lack of third spaces
Lack of community development.
Isolation Time
Social networks are shrinking, and social participation is dropping, regardless of whether individuals report that they are lonely. From 2003 to 2020, average daily time spent alone increased from 285 to 333 minutes, equating to an extra 24 hours per month spent in isolation. At the same time, daily in-person socialization with friends dropped from 60 to 20 minutes, a 20-hour per month decline.
Meanwhile, Americans now spend an average of six hours per day on digital media. One in three adults say they are online "almost constantly," a figure that has doubled since 2015. The sharpest decline in social time is among 15–24-year-olds, whose time spent with friends has dropped nearly 70% from 150 minutes a day in 2003 to 40 in 2020. This mirrors the rise in social media usage, which grew from 5% in 2005 to 80% in 2019 among adults.
We're pouring our dopamine into screens instead of sharing it with others.
Distrust
As our investment in one another diminishes, polarization intensifies. Loneliness and isolation are fueling other societal crises and fragmenting our nation.
Trust in one another and major institutions has reached historic lows. In 1972, 45% of Americans felt they could trust others; by 2016, that number had dropped to 30%. At the same time, polarization has risen sharply. Nearly 6 in 10 Americans say it's “stressful and frustrating” to talk politics with people who disagree with them, and 64% say we can no longer have civil debates.
Move Forward
A study spanning 1980 to 1997, covering over 87,000 people across 46 countries, found that the top five contributors to happiness were romantic/familial relationships, financial situation, work, community/friends, and health. The very things in decline today. Relationships are the backbone of well-lived lives.
Building Together
Rebuilding connection must become a top public health priority. This means reorienting our communities and institutions to prioritize relationships. We know how to do this.
We need trust, acceptance, and shared ground before tackling divisive issues. We must rebuild micro-communities, among families, friends, classroom, workplaces, before we can fix the macro. Nobody thrives in isolation. We must foster relationships before hardship hits, because hardship is inevitable, and relationships are our lifelines.
A three-year study of 26 U.S. cities found that those with the highest resident attachment experienced the greatest GDP growth. One unit increase in social capital boosts survival by 17% and reported good health by 29%.
You can't change someone’s mind when they feel attacked.
Let Us Remember
We must remember that while we are all unique, we are part of something larger. One with differences, yes, but also profound similarities. It’s easy to focus on what divides us, but often that division is just a gap in understanding. And understanding is something we can always build.
With understanding, we learn to care. With care, we learn to love. With love, we build change. And with change, we foster peace.
You are part of that change.
Even the smallest act can have a lasting impact. We may never know which small moment becomes someone else’s turning point. Doesn't matter how small the significance. It is still significant.
Technology has broadened our communities, but also strained them. It has changed how we live and work. We must renegotiate our relationship with technology. That means carving out space for each other again. It means making time for connection.
Three-quarters of people surveyed say they want “more activities and fun community events,” and “public spaces that are more accessible and connection-focused.”
Let’s make that happen. Let’s meet one another again. Let’s make new friends. Let’s create moments we remember.
The best ideas start with two friends in a garage.