The Decline of Youth Sports is Making Teen Loneliness Worse

The social capital benefits of youth athletics are profound

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 been tough, but the growing sense of social isolation among young people is something new. In a 2021 study, we found that a majority (56 percent) of Gen Zers felt lonely at least once or twice a month during their childhood, more than twice as often as Baby Boomers during their formative years.