Americans' Social Activity Has Steeply Declined in the Past 30 Years

This brief reports a direct comparison of Americans’ participation in specific social activities between 1995 and 2026, using a 2026 Data for Progress survey (n=1,098) that replicates items from the DDB Needham Life Style surveys cited in Bowling Alone. It argues that Americans have sharply reduced engagement in many in-person social settings over the past three decades. The analysis highlights widespread, double-digit declines in activities tied to face-to-face social life and civic connection, and contrasts those declines with increases in digital and solitary pursuits.

Key findings show large drops in yearly participation rates: entertaining people at home fell from 88% to 67 (-21 points), church/place of worship attendance from 74% to 54 (-20), picnics from 58% to 39 (-19), and club meetings from 45% to 26 (-19). Other notable declines include attending classes/seminars (-22), playing cards (-19), and volunteer work (-12). Increases occurred in internet use (+90), playing home video games (+22), exercise classes (+14), pop/rock concerts (+13), and personal airline trips (+5). Methodological differences between the 1995 mail-based quota sample and the 2026 web-panel sample (sampling frames, modes, weighting) are acknowledged and noted to affect measures like religiosity and loneliness, but the magnitude and consistency of changes are emphasized.