According to an NBC poll released in August, only 20 percent of college sophomores surveyed said they can definitely see themselves rooming with someone who voted differently than they did in the 2020 presidential election. And more than half said they probably or definitely couldn’t see themselves dating such a student. Campus culture seems to further social disconnection rather than foster friendship across the political divide.
COVID-19 lockdowns exacerbated social isolation and loneliness, but even before the pandemic, the loneliness epidemic had been well documented and surveys regularly show high levels of loneliness among younger Americans. In 2019, the American Enterprise Institute’s Society found that 44 percent of 18- to 29-year-olds reported feeling completely alone at least sometimes, compared to just 19 percent of 60- to 70-year-olds. And 50 percent of younger Americans said they sometimes feel isolated from others, compared to 30 percent of those 60 years and older.
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