Gen Z social isolation rises as 10% report zero daily face-to-face interactions

An analysis of US Census data and the American Time Use Survey reveals a significant rise in social isolation among Gen Z. Approximately 10% of young adults aged 23 to 29 reported having zero face-to-face human interactions on an average day. This figure has increased substantially from the pre-pandemic level of 3% recorded in 2019.

While the percentage of isolated young people peaked at 10% in 2023 and has seen a slight decline through 2025, it remains much higher than pre-pandemic figures. The data suggests that while highly social individuals have seen their in-person time rebound, a specific segment of the population that previously spent about one-third of their day socializing saw those interactions collapse to zero during the pandemic and remain at that level.

Additionally, the average time spent socializing daily has decreased from 45 minutes to 35 minutes over the last two decades. Young people aged 15 to 24 now average 35 minutes of daily social interaction, down from one hour previously. This trend coincides with increased screen time, with daily use of computers and social media rising from 25 minutes in 2015 to 37 minutes in 2025.