Where Is Social Connection Most Needed in Daily Life?

Abstract

In 2023, the US Surgeon General declared an "epidemic of loneliness and isolation." This study asks: (RQ1) Where do daily social connections come from? (RQ2) Can people find alternative sources of social connection when access from a location is unavailable? Using 10 years of data from the American Time Use Survey, I find that the home is the largest source of social connections in daily life, followed by the workplace and third places. More importantly, when people lack daily social connections at home (i.e., living alone), they have 3.8 h/day fewer connections than people who do not live alone. In contrast, when people lack daily social connections at work (i.e., through unemployment or retirement), they have 1.3 h/day fewer connections than employed people. This significant difference in effect size is explained by the compensation patterns of people lacking daily social connections at home vs. at work. Specifically, people who lack daily social connections at work can compensate for their loss by getting connections from home and third places, whereas people who live alone are not able or willing to find alternative sources of daily social connections from work or third places, highlighting the need to address social isolation at home.