Americans spent 38 percent less time with friends and family members this Thanksgiving than they did in years past, a stark example that the amount of hours we spend with other people has plummeted. The so-called “loneliness epidemic” is actually not so new. As the Washington Post points out, time spent alone was already on an upward trend prior to 2020 and the pandemic, going back to when smartphones first became commonplace. The average American now spends less than 10 hours per week in person with friends, even when the definition of a “friend” is expanded to include clients, co-workers, and neighbors. This remains just as true for teens (15 and older) as it does for older groups. Being alone isn’t always bad, and can be a part of intentional spiritual formation. But when spending all of our free time alone becomes the status quo, it’s worth wondering how normalized isolation is really serving us individually and as a society. God didn’t want Adam to be alone and He made us for community.

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*This content was posted on the Axis website as part of an article titled "Is Instagram Over?"