Americans are socializing a lot less, staying ,home alone a lot more, writes economist Bryce Ward in the Washington Post.

That’s true for all ages, but the change is especially dramatic for teenagers, he writes. “Relative to 2010-2013, the average American teenager spent approximately 11 fewer hours with friends each week in 2021 (a 64 percent decline) and 12 additional hours alone (a 48 percent increase).”

“The covid-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on our social lives,” writes Ward, but the trend started years before “safer at home.” …

The average American didn’t increase time time with family members, he writes. “Instead, they chose to be alone.”

[What could go wrong? — Ed]