‘Where to Meet People’ Internet Searches Spike Amid Loneliness Epidemic
Search trends show people are looking for friendship and community. The US Surgeon General says loneliness is at epidemic levels in a new report.
People meet friends at Sheep Meadow in New York City’s Central Park over Labor Day Weekend in 2021.
Photographer: Noam Galai/Getty Images North AmericaIf you’re searching for clues about the depth and severity of the US loneliness crisis, look no further than your search bar. This week, Google Trends reported that searches for “how to make friends,” “where to make friends,” and “where to meet people” had reached an all-time high.
The U.S. Surgeon General, Vivek Murthy, released a report this month declaring loneliness and social isolation problems of epidemic proportions. He cited scientific studies showing that one in two American adults have reported feeling lonely even before the Covid-19 pandemic kept many people in their homes and away from public interactions. Loneliness also has grave impacts on people’s physical health, the report stressed, and is associated with elevated risks of heart disease, stroke, dementia in older adults and premature death.