One in five American millennials say that they don't have a single friend at all. That's about double what it was a decade ago. If you asked me, do i sometimes feel lonely, id probably say yes. There is a certain u again, it is part of the human condition to some extent. We are inevitably isolated from those around us and long to connect with them.
Author and economist Noreena Hertz of University College London talks about her book, The Lonely Century, with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Hertz blames social media and the individualist, pro-capitalism worldviews of leaders like Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan for the rise in loneliness in the developed world. Russ suggests some alternative causes. The result is a lively conversation about understanding and explaining social trends.