Loneliness increases the risk of premature death by nearly 30%

Widespread loneliness in the U.S. poses health risks as deadly as smoking up to 15 cigarettes daily, costing the health industry billions of dollars annually, the U.S. surgeon general said in declaring the latest public health epidemic. About half of U.S. adults say they’ve experienced loneliness, Dr. Vivek Murthy said in an 81-page report.

The loneliness epidemic is hitting young people, ages 15 to 24, especially hard. The age group reported a 70% drop in time spent with friends during the same period.

Loneliness increases the risk of premature death by nearly 30%, and those with poor social relationships also had a greater risk of stroke and heart disease. Isolation also elevates a person’s likelihood for experiencing depression, anxiety and dementia, according to the research.

Research shows that Americans, who have become less engaged with religious worship, community organizations, and even their own family members in recent decades, have steadily reported an increase in feelings of loneliness. The number of single households has also doubled over the last 60 years.

Technology has rapidly exacerbated the loneliness problem, with one study cited in the report finding that people who used social media for two hours or more daily were more than twice as likely to report feeling socially isolated than those who were on such apps for less than 30 minutes a day.

Ongoing religious studies and worship services are very good ways to make new friends; but how do you find the right religion for you?

The Pew polling organization just published information about the good and not so good religious experiences thousands of people had.

Some 76 percent of Jews who were brought up as Jews in the United States continue to identify as Jews in adulthood, one of the highest rates out of any religion, according to a Pew Research survey published on December 15, 2025.

Nationwide, 56% of all Americans still identify with their childhood religion, while 35% have abandoned it, according to the survey of 9,000 US adults conducted in May. Another 9% weren’t raised with a religion, and still don’t have one today.

American adults who were raised as Hindus (82%), or Muslims (77%), or Jews (76%) were the most likely to remain in their childhood religion, the survey found; and 70% of people raised as Protestants still identify that way today.

Retention rates were much lower among Catholics (57%), Latter-day Saints (54%) and Buddhists (45%), the study found.

Asked why they still identify as Jews, 60% of those who did said they like the traditions, and 57% cited liking the sense of community. About half of Jews said they stuck with the religion because it’s their family religion and/or because it’s something they’re familiar with.

That was different from how Catholics or Protestants answered the question. The most common reasons they cited for remaining in their religion included belief in the religions’ teachings, fulfilling spiritual needs, and giving meaning to their lives.

Jews gave these answers as well, with 45% saying they believe in the religion’s teachings and 42% saying it fulfills spiritual needs and brings meaning to their lives.

Among Americans who have left their childhood religion, the most commonly cited reasons were that they stopped believing in the religion’s teachings (46%).

About a third said their religion’s teachings about social and political issues (34%) or scandals involving clergy or religious leaders (32%) were significant reasons for leaving their religion.