Why it matters: The findings underscore how messages from political leaders and health authorities about the critical importance of social distancing to slow the spread of the virus haven’t taken hold with younger Americans.

The poll doesn’t define “friends,” so when college students say their friends have gone out, it’s ambiguous how many students are talking about close friends vs. mere acquaintances.

But 27% percent of respondents indicated they’d been out socially, either alone or with their friends — an indicator of how prevalent these attitudes are.

Between the lines: The numbers stand in contrast to the 90% of students who say they’re concerned about transmitting the virus to the elderly and immunocompromised population.