American Storylines

American Storylines

The Decline of Youth Sports is Making Teen Loneliness Worse

The social capital benefits of youth athletics are profound

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Daniel Cox
Jun 01, 2023
∙ Paid
Young boy sitting on a soccer ball on the sideline alone

Teenage loneliness has become a public health epidemic. Even before the release of the Surgeon General’s report on loneliness, ample evidence suggested young people were experiencing rising levels of social disconnection. In just the last decade, the amount of time high schoolers spend with their friends has been cut in half.  

Adolescence has always bee…

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