An epidemic of social isolation? Age and cohort trends of social connectedness among older adults, 2004–2018

Despite growing concerns of social isolation among older adults, the potential role of societal changes, such as the rise in non-kin relations, non-religious social participation, and digital media use, remains understudied in shaping social connectedness among younger cohorts. This study moves beyond traditional measures of core kinships, religious social participation, and in-person contact to better reflect emerging societal changes. Applying Hierarchical Growth Curve Modeling to the Health and Retirement Study (HRS, 2004–2018, N = 42,959 observations), this paper examines cohort variations in individual age trajectories of social connectedness and the changing intracohort social disparities. Contrary to common assumptions, results suggest that although social connectedness decreases from Late Children of Depression to War Babies and Early Baby Boomers, it notably stalls among more recent Mid and Late Baby Boomers. From a life course perspective, Mid and Late Baby Boomers even exhibit significantly slower decline rates as they age, while their predecessors demonstrate accelerated declining trajectories. Moreover, women and Hispanic older adults consistently demonstrate higher social connectedness than their male and White counterparts within each cohort, with these differences also becoming more pronounced among Mid and Late Boomers. Further analyses indicate that these trends can be partially explained by baby boomers’ improvements in socioeconomic status, physical health, and gender/racial/ethnic equality. However, societal changes that emphasize the significance of distant relations, non-religious social activities, and digital communication may play a more important role in compensating for the decline of traditional connections. These findings reflect broader cultural transitions in family and socialization practices in contemporary America.