Loneliness is pervasive in American society, with almost two-thirds of young adults feeling “serious loneliness,” according to a February 2021 survey. Implications of that could be profound as those young people age, writes NYU Langone’s Joel Salinas, MD, MBA, in Psychology Today.

“In this unpredictable pandemic world, loneliness and social isolation have unfortunately become the new normal, but we must fight against this,” writes Dr. Salinas, the Lulu P. and David J. Levidow Assistant Professor of Neurology and an expert in neurodegenerative diseases and brain health for the Center for Cognitive Neurology. “Reach out to your friends and family. Be a listener for someone in your life. Finding ways to safely connect with friends and family will continue to require effort, but we can, and will, get through this together.”

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