As of October 2025, there were almost 5.7 billion people on social media around the world. A little over 310 million of them were Americans. Even though that number seems large, it’s predicted that it will only grow over the next year. With that many people on social media and the ability to reach anyone, anywhere, it seems like connections should be growing. And yet, we’re dealing with a loneliness epidemic instead. Why is this happening?
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It’s normal to feel lonely from time to time. It can happen as you go about your daily life–especially if you have a hectic schedule. However, if you’re so lonely that it’s affecting your mental and physical health, then it’s a problem worth addressing. That’s the kind of loneliness that polls say Americans are dealing with now.
When polled before the COVID-19 pandemic, loneliness hovered at around 17-18 percent. This number increased to the mid-20s during the pandemic, but that was understandable. In the age of social distancing, it was typical to spend a lot of time alone. Once the rules relaxed, the percentage of Americans who said they were lonely dropped again to the mid-teens.
Then something shocking happened. From 2023 to 2025, the numbers started to climb again. When asked, 20 percent of Americans said they were struggling with loneliness. That percentage equated to over 52 million people. Not only was that surprising, given that it was difficult to pinpoint why it was happening, but it also showed that loneliness was affecting enough people for it to be called an epidemic.
According to researchers, chronic loneliness can be as bad for your health as smoking 15 cigarettes per day. It shortens your life span, affects how well you sleep, and makes you more likely to experience depression. Studies even show that the effects of loneliness can be worse than when you’re overweight or physically inactive.
The problem is even worse for those who are older. Loneliness can hit older adults harder than their younger counterparts. Being lonely can increase your risk of having a cardiac event or stroke by up to 30 percent. The likelihood of developing dementia also skyrockets by as much as 50 percent.
Interestingly, this isn’t an American problem. Multiple polls and studies have shown that loneliness affects people worldwide. From teenagers to people in retirement, more people than ever are saying they’re lonely. The widespread data led to the US Surgeon General and the World Health Organization (WHO) declaring that loneliness isn’t just a problem, it’s a health epidemic.
With so many social media platforms where millions of people connect every day, though, why is this even happening?
When presented with the question of social connectivity, researchers decided to dig into what loneliness looks like in different landscapes. It may be understandable if you don’t have meaningful interactions with people in real life when you’re busy, but how can people who make time for social media still be lonely?
What they found was interesting. It wasn’t just about the time you spend on social media; it’s what you’re doing. People who were more passive in their use of digital platforms reported being lonelier than those who were active. For example, the participants who spend more time online gaming, watching YouTube, scrolling TikTok, and reading posts on Reddit reported being lonely.
Similar results were received when it came to dating apps, where you’re always swiping past people’s profiles. You may run the risk of feeling lonely on these apps because you’re not seeing anyone who shares similar interests.
According to the surveys, the feelings of loneliness were the same before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The finding was clear: everyone was lonely regardless of how much they used social media platforms designed to connect them.
However, those who used apps for networking were far less likely to be lonely. They were interacting with posts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Of course, apps like TikTok and Reddit can also be interactive if you know how to use them.
So, how do you build meaningful relationships so you’re not a part of the loneliness epidemic? The key to that is two-fold. First, you need to work on building connections in real-life situations. Secondly, you can use social media platforms in a way that doesn’t leave you feeling worse.
For real-life scenarios, the experts recommend finding people who are already open to new friendships. These can be new neighbors, new coworkers, people whose kids have just moved out, or retirees. It can also help to meet people who have similar interests. For example, if you like hiking, you can easily meet new people in hiking clubs. Similarly, making friends with other dog owners at a dog park is easier than approaching people when you don’t know if you have any common interests.
As you do this, it’s important to be open to all the possibilities as well. Sometimes, making friends can come through new experiences and trying things that you hadn’t previously considered. Expanding your horizons can also allow you to have multiple friendships. You don’t have to focus all your energy on one relationship. There can be benefits to having multiple connections.
When you’re looking for online connections, though, you have to work at making these interactions meaningful. With so many options, it’s easy to get lost in scrolling, where you watch others connect without ever jumping in. One good way to avoid this is to join online groups based on your interests. You’re far more likely to talk to people when they’re exploring something you already love.
Once you’ve started to build connections, it’s important to maintain them. You should be consistent when reaching out and never neglectful.
While it can be okay to keep your new friends in the virtual space, especially if they’re far away, relationship experts encourage meeting in person as well. Typically, this can strengthen your friendship even further. Seeing your friend and hearing their voice can have such a significant impact on your loneliness that it’s worth exploring.
Loneliness has become so widespread that it’s been labelled as an epidemic by at least two health organizations. Despite living in an age where millions of people are connected through social media, a high percentage of them are lonelier than ever. Fortunately, if you use social media platforms correctly, you can build meaningful connections that fight the trend.
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