Robert D. Putnam’s 2000 study Bowling Alone was one of the first to identify loneliness as an epidemic, highlighting how decreased participation in civic life and community groups was weakening social bonds in the United States.
[4] In 2010, a systematic review and meta analysis by Holt-Lunstad, Smith, and Layton, stated that the "modern way of life in industrialized countries" is greatly reducing the quality of social relationships, partly due to people no longer living in close proximity with their extended families.
[10][11][1][3] In Europe, a comparative overview of the prevalence and determinants of loneliness and social isolation in the pre-COVID period was conducted by the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission.
According to Capita, an American think tank that specializes in the study of loneliness, the overuse of digital and social media, especially among young people, often reduces real-life interactions and deepens feelings of isolation.
Low-wage workers and individuals in economically distressed areas experience higher levels of loneliness due to limited social mobility and access to community resources.
Surgeon General Vivek Murthy published a United States Department of Health and Human Services advisory on the impact of the epidemic of loneliness and isolation.
This proposed act aims to establish a federal office focused on addressing loneliness and promoting social connectedness through community and public health initiatives.