Tyler Cowen, Columnist

America’s Loneliness Epidemic Squeezes the Middle

The rich and the poor have been able to see more people, while those in between are suffering.

The only guy in the office.

Photographer: TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP
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Loneliness has been one of the greatest harms of the pandemic, and some people are more afflicted than others. In general, those at the very top and the very bottom of the socioeconomic ladder have had the most chances to meet and socialize, while those in between have suffered the worst consequences.

Start with those in the higher socioeconomic tiers. I am not at the elite level of CEOs or heads of state. But from my own experience I can say that such individuals have many opportunities to socialize.