Average hours per day special socializing by age
Americans are socializing significantly less than they did 20 years ago, a trend affecting every generation, according to the latest American Time Use Survey.
Why It Matters
According to Axios, this growing social isolation represents a fundamental shift in daily life, with wide-ranging consequences for mental health, community trust, what we believe, and even how long we live.
By the Numbers
- Average daily socializing time has dropped from 45 minutes to 35 minutes over the past two decades.
- The decline is steepest among young people: 15- to 24-year-olds now spend just 35 minutes per day socializing, down from a full hour.
What’s Driving the Change
Several overlapping trends are fueling this “Anti-Social Century,” as Substack writer Derek Thompson calls it:
- Smartphones and social media: Many interactions now happen through screens rather than in person. Teens alone spend an average of 4.8 hours daily on apps like TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat.
- Persistent post-pandemic habits: Remote work and remote life have continued, reducing casual face-to-face contact.
- More comfortable isolation at home: Larger homes, bigger TVs, and widespread food delivery apps make staying in easier than ever.
- Decline of physical gathering spaces: Libraries, coffee shops, museums, and other hangout spots have closed in large numbers over the past decade. Churches are also shuttering at unprecedented rates.
The result is a society where retreating from social interaction has become the path of least resistance.