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The feeling of loneliness is an increasingly common feeling in the United States, so much so that one in three Americans say they experience it frequently, according to the American Psychiatric Association. Young people seem particularly affected by this phenomenon, especially those who do not have higher education.
At first glance, going to university allows you to obtain a diploma which will then promote integration into the job market. But that’s not the only benefit of higher education. A recent report from the Survey Center on American Life shows that students have a richer social life than young people of the same age who stopped studying after high school. The proof in figures: 24% of Americans with a bachelor’s degree say they have no close friends, compared to only 10% of those with at least a bachelor’s degree.
Generally speaking, the most highly educated Americans have a much larger social circle than their peers who have not received higher education. A third of those surveyed by the Survey Center on American Life say they have at least six close friends. Only 17% of respondents who have not gone beyond high school can say the same.
This trend is unfortunately not new. “About thirty years ago, Americans with higher levels of education did not have larger social circles. In 1990, nearly half (49%) of Americans with a bachelor’s degree or less reported having at least six close friends – a slightly higher proportion than those with college degrees – while only 3% reported have no close friends“explain researchers from the Survey Center on American Life in their report.
Good in his body, good in his head!
Loneliness, a public health problem
The causes of what some American commentators call “an epidemic of loneliness” are multiple, between the omnipresence of social networks and the rise of individualism, to the detriment of community life. The erosion of religious practice in the country also plays a role in this phenomenon.
Because, as we get older, it is generally more difficult to make friends. The meetings are not necessarily fewer but they more rarely give rise to beautiful friendships. As adults, we often have less time for friendships. However, Jeffrey Hall, professor at the University of Kansas, believes in a studypublished in 2018 in the journal Jjournal of Social and Personal Relationshipsthat it would take 90 hours for two people to consider each other friends. More than 200 hours would be necessary for them to truly feel close. Few adults are ready to invest so much in their social circle, especially if they have a demanding professional life (large working hours, polyactivity, etc.).
However, friendship is far from being a luxury. Several studies have shown that friendships help maintain good mental and physical health. Being able to count on loved ones in a difficult time helps to reduce tension, which helps protect yourself in the long term from stress-related pathologies. Conversely, loneliness results in greater vulnerability to several diseases and conditions, including cancer, stroke and cardiovascular problems. Researchers at Brigham Young University even estimate a studypublished in 2015 in the journal Perspectives Perspectives on Psychological Sciencethat people who say they feel alone are more likely to die prematurely.
In this context, we easily understand why the loneliness of Americans is worrying. Researchers at the Survey Center on American Life fear that eventually, having friends will become “a privilege reserved for people with higher education“, and not “a banal aspect of American life.”