NPR

Americans Are A Lonely Lot, And Young People Bear The Heaviest Burden

A nationwide survey by health insurer Cigna finds that loneliness is widespread in America. Millennials and people in Generation Z tend to feel lonelier than retirees.
Loneliness is on the rise in the U.S., particularly among younger people, such as members of Generation Z, born between the mid-1990s and the early 2000s, and millennials, just a little bit older.

Loneliness isn't just a fleeting feeling, leaving us sad for a few hours to a few days. Research in recent years suggests that for many people, loneliness is more like a chronic ache, affecting their daily lives and sense of well-being.

Now a nationwide survey by the health insurer Cigna underscores that. It finds that loneliness is widespread in America, with nearly 50 percent of respondents reporting that they feel alone or left out always or sometimes.

Using one of the best-known tools for measuring loneliness — — Cigna surveyed 20,000 adults online

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR2 min readAmerican Government
Biden Is Giving $6 Billion To Micron For A Semiconductor Project In Upstate New York
The Micron project comes after the White House has announced massive investments for Intel, TSMC and Samsung in recent weeks using funds from the 2022 CHIPS and Science Act.
NPR5 min readFinance & Money Management
Housing Experts Say There Just Aren't Enough Homes In The U.S.
The United States is millions of homes short of demand, and lacks enough affordable housing units. And many Americans feel like housing costs are eating up too much of their take-home pay.
NPR2 min readInternational Relations
World Central Kitchen Workers Killed In Israeli Strikes Will Be Honored At Memorial
The aid workers were killed April 1 when a succession of Israeli armed drones ripped through vehicles in their convoy as they left one of World Central Kitchen's warehouses on a food delivery mission.

Related