Even College Students Have Stopped Hanging Out

America's loneliness epidemic has impacted college students, too. Historically, college served as a hub for socializing and partying, but recent data shows that today's students spend less time socializing than previous generations did. In 1994, 32 percent of college seniors spent over six hours per week partying, while in 2026 that number had dropped to 21 percent.

The percentage of students who socialized face-to-face with friends also declined from 74 to 65 percent during the same period. Additionally, the share of first-year students who felt frequently isolated from campus life nearly doubled over the past two decades.

The National Survey of Student Engagement indicates that students report higher rates of loneliness than adults. A rising senior at MIT mentioned that despite being involved in Greek life and athletics, he often eats alone and feels socially isolated. University leaders are now encouraging students to spend more time socializing with friends, despite initial resistance.

Researchers suggest that smartphones and social media are contributing to the loneliness epidemic, as more time spent on social media crowds out time spent on social interactions. Extracurricular activities have also become more focused on job skills, making it harder for students to find genuine social connections.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a lasting impact on in-person interaction on campus, particularly for students who were in middle school during the transition to remote learning. College students often experience challenges that would typically be faced during adolescence, such as trying alcohol for the first time or having their first romantic relationships.

However, the pandemic also led to changes in how universities operate, with many institutions offering remote courses and professors posting online lectures. This reduction in social interactions has left some students feeling stunted in their social development.