The Lonely American

The personal and societal effects of the unheralded epidemic of social isolation in America. Calling on their extensive clinical experience, new social surveys (including the 2004 General Social Survey and the Pew Internet and American Life Project), and recent research on the physiological and cognitive effects of social exclusion, Olds and Schwartz uncover the ripple effects of social isolation in areas as varied as physical health, children's emotional problems, substance abuse, violent crime—even global warming. They conclude that electronic connection is no substitute for face-to-face interaction.