The US Surgeon General issued a landmark advisory declaring loneliness and social isolation a national public health emergency, citing research showing that nearly half of American adults report feeling measurably lonely on a regular basis. The health consequences are comparable to smoking 15 cigarettes a day, according to the advisory.
Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy called on schools, employers, healthcare providers, and urban planners to redesign social infrastructure to prioritize human connection. Proposed recommendations include mandating social prescribing programs in federally funded healthcare and limiting algorithmic content feeds on social media platforms.
The advisory highlighted that younger Americans aged 15-24 have experienced a 70% drop in time spent with friends over the past two decades, and that elderly Americans living alone face elevated risks of dementia, heart disease, and early death linked to isolation.