We created health guidelines for fighting loneliness - here’s what we recommend

By: Daniel P. Aldrich, Northeastern University and Kiffer George Card, Simon Fraser University, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: November 24, 2025

Words: 1,202

Last Updated: 18 hours, 24 minutes ago

By Daniel P. Aldrich, Northeastern University and Kiffer George Card, Simon Fraser University

Social isolation kills. It increases your risk of death by 30% — roughly the same as smoking cigarettes and much worse than factors such as obesity and sedentary living.

Americans are living through what researchers call a friendship recession, spending less time with friends than at any point in recent history.

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