NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JULY 24: People sit and have a picnic in Washington Square Park during a heat wave on July 24, 2022 in New York City. The five boroughs of New York City are under a heat advisory until 8 PM on July 24th according to the US National Weather Service. Much of the East Coast is experiencing higher than usual temperatures as a heat wave moves through the area forcing residents into parks, pools and beaches to escape the heat. (Photo by Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images)

December 20, 2022

Why Americans are Spending Less Time with Friends — And What to do About it

A full work week. Hours on housework, yard work, time spent with your kids or partner. Then there’s all the time we spend online. Where is the time for friends? Continue Reading →

Photo of main street, Grass Valley California

March 1, 2022

Diversity and Disconnection

Americans who live in areas packed with neighborhood amenities tend to have a more diverse set of friends and acquaintances. Continue Reading →

bridge between college graduates and those without a degree

December 13, 2021

The College Connection: The Education Divide in American Social and Community Life

Despite concerns about rising student debt, the economic value of a college education has never been clearer. College graduates are more socially connected, civically engaged, and active in their communities. College graduates have more extensive systems of social support, a larger number of close friends, and feel lonely and isolated less often than those without a degree. Continue Reading →

A black and white image shows four friends embracing with excitement

August 9, 2021

Yes, Having More Friends is Better

Recent work shows that all Americans—men and women alike—benefit when they develop intimate and emotionally supportive connections with their friends. But quantity matters too. Continue Reading →

In a parking lot against a pale blue sky and dark blue metal wall, two young women laugh and smile while one sits inside of a shopping cart while the other pushes the cart.

July 29, 2021

What Matters for Living a Fulfilling Life

The June American Perspectives Survey offers some clues as to what Americans believe is truly necessary for living a full and rewarding life. Continue Reading →

Just-married couple gets off a party bus while bridal party celebrates them

July 20, 2021

Can Married Men and Women be Friends? Marriage, Friendship, and Loneliness

The time we invest on our relationships, whether it is with a partner, spouse, or a friend, is likely the most important thing we can do to ensure a long, healthy, and fulfilling life. Continue Reading →

Silhouette of a young man standing outside an apartment window

July 6, 2021

American Men Suffer a Friendship Recession

Declining religious involvement, lower marriage rates, and changes in the workplace may be creating a surge of disconnection.

After a prolonged period of social isolation, Americans are dusting off their social calendars. But as Americans try to rebuild and reconnect, a new survey conducted by the Survey Center on American Life finds that the social landscape is far less favorable than it once was. Continue Reading →

A young man sits alone on a bench while reading a book.

June 29, 2021

Men’s Social Circles are Shrinking

As the pandemic recedes, the American economy will recover. Most businesses will adapt, evolve, and ultimately thrive. The future of American social life looks much bleaker. Continue Reading →

COVID-19 vaccination stickers sit in waiting during the Columbus Public Health drop-in clinic at Stonewall Columbus in the Short

June 29, 2021

Peer Pressure, Not Politics, May Matter Most When it Comes to Getting the COVID-19 Vaccine

Americans experience widely different levels of social pressure to get the COVID-19 vaccine. And for better or worse, our friends exercise considerable influence over the information we have and the decisions we make. Continue Reading →

An older man sits on a bench in a park as a group of young runners go by.

June 23, 2021

Is Social Isolation Hampering the Vaccine Rollout?

Americans who are socially disconnected report far lower vaccination rates and may ultimately prove to be an important impediment. Continue Reading →

Generation Uncoupled

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Generation Uncoupled: America's New Gender Divide and the Crisis of Human Connection

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Survey Reports

Daniel A. Cox
July 23, 2026

A Digital Divide in American Adolescence: Gender, Class, and the New Teenage Experience

If teenage years once represented a time of rebellion, teenagers’ lives today are marked less by pushing boundaries and more by building their own. Many teenage experiences are less common than they once were—dating, working a part-time job, and experimenting with drugs and alcohol are less common experiences. The 2026 American Teenagers Survey from the Continue Reading →

Daniel A. Cox, Jae Grace, Avery Shields
April 27, 2026

Strangers Next Door: The Decline of Neighborhood Socializing and the Class Divide in Belonging

Acknowledgment The American Enterprise Institute’s Survey Center on American Life is grateful to the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation for its generous support of this research. As Americans spend more of their time online, the neighborhood—once a primary physical location for real-world socialization—is playing less of a central role than ever before. Since Continue Reading →