Eric Klinenberg, a sociologist and director at NYU's Institute for Public Knowledge, dives into America’s alarming decline in face-to-face socializing. He reveals that from 2003 to 2022, interactions plummeted by 30%, especially among teens. Klinenberg discusses how digital media affects loneliness and the surprising idea that Americans may not be lonelier than ever. He also highlights the importance of social infrastructure and community connectivity, drawing lessons from past crises to emphasize the need for rebuilding social ties.
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insights INSIGHT
Socializing Decline
Face-to-face socializing among American adults has declined by 30% from 2003-2022.
This decline is even more significant for unmarried adults (35%) and teenagers (45%).
insights INSIGHT
Disproportionate Decline
While teen socializing decline impacts mental health, the steepest drop is among poor and Black Americans.
COVID accelerated these trends, but the decline predates the pandemic.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Pets over People
Americans seemingly substituted pets for human interaction, with pet time doubling in 20 years.
In 2022, the average woman with a pet spent more time with her pet than socializing with humans.
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2020, One City, Seven People, and the Year Everything Changed
2020, One City, Seven People, and the Year Everything Changed
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Going Solo
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Going Solo is the second part of Roald Dahl's autobiography, detailing his early adult life. It begins with his journey to Africa to work for Shell Oil, where he encounters exotic wildlife and quirky characters. The narrative shifts as World War II breaks out, and Dahl joins the Royal Air Force, experiencing both humor and tragedy as a fighter pilot. The book offers a blend of adventure, humor, and serious themes, providing a unique glimpse into Dahl's life before he became a celebrated author.
Today’s episode is about the extraordinary decline in face-to-face socializing in America—and the real stakes of the country’s hanging-out crisis.
From 2003 to 2022, American adults reduced their average hours of face-to-face socializing by about 30 percent. For unmarried Americans, the decline was even bigger—more than 35 percent. For teenagers, it was more than 45 percent.
Eric Klinenberg is a sociologist and the director of the Institute for Public Knowledge at New York University. He is the author of several books on the rise of living alone and the decline of social infrastructure. His latest is _'_2020: One City, Seven People, and the Year Everything Changed.' And he's not afraid to challenge the popular notion of an epidemic of loneliness in America. “There is no good evidence that Americans are lonelier than ever," he has written. Today, Eric and I talk about teens and parenting, the decline of hanging out, why America sucks at building social infrastructure, and why aloneness isn’t always loneliness.
If you have questions, observations, or ideas for future episodes, email us at PlainEnglish@Spotify.com.
Plain English with Derek Thompson 
