Americans report emotional disconnect even as they crave community

(Photo by Fujiphilm vía Unsplash)

Thirty-eight percent of Americans have gone “no contact” with a friend or family member in the last year, according to a new study.

The survey of 2,000 Americans revealed that young people are more likely than older groups to have gone “no contact” with a loved one in the last year (Gen Z 60%, millennials 50%, Gen X 38%, baby boomers 20%).

Investigating the “why” behind this trend, survey respondents’ top reason for going “no contact” with someone was because that person was not respectful to them (36%).

Other primary motivations for this cited in the study include that the relationship negatively impacted their mental health (29%), and that the other person was too negative in general (27%).

Looking at the long-term impact of going “no contact,” most people (59%) who’ve cut off connection with a loved one in the last year said they are still not in touch with that person.

The study was commissioned by Talkspace and conducted by Talker Research for Mental Health Awareness Month in May, and revealed the rise of additional isolating behaviors, along with the uptick in Americans going “no contact.”

More than a third of people (36%) have blocked a friend or family member on social media in the last year, and 30% have removed a loved one from a group chat in that same timeframe.

This corresponds with the survey finding that nearly three-quarters (73%) feel inclined to distance themselves from a friend or loved one when they experience difficult moments in the relationship,  rather than openly communicating to problem solve.

“These results suggest that avoiding relationship challenges is becoming more common, but that approach can come with its own risks, making it harder to sustain meaningful connections over time and leading to more loneliness," said Dr. Nikole Benders-Hadi, the chief medical officer at Talkspace. "Prioritizing communication, setting healthy boundaries and staying engaged even when it’s uncomfortable can help people preserve the relationships that support their mental wellness.”

(Talker Research)

The tendency to self-isolate has most likely significantly contributed to Americans’ feelings of seclusion and alienation. In the study, 47% said they experience loneliness during a typical day.

And more than one in three (34%) confessed they feel less socially connected to others in their lives now, compared to five years ago.

The gravitation towards isolation wasn’t limited to respondents’ personal relationships, and per the results, many said they use technology to avoid contact with those around them.

People said they use self-checkout kiosks (64%), autonomous taxis or rideshares (24%), online ordering (68%) and chatbots/automated help systems (42%) when they’re available, in order to reduce their interactions with others.

Going even further, 37% of study participants confessed they’d prefer to pretend to take a phone call, rather than having two minutes of small talk with a stranger. And 40% admitted they’d rather cross the street to avoid someone they know, rather than stopping to chat for five minutes. In both scenarios, Gen Z was the age group most likely to prefer interaction avoidance.

In light of this, it’s unsurprising that the majority of people (68%) said they struggle to build in-person community.

The top reasons cited for this were social anxiety (30%), preferring to spend time alone (30%) and people feeling like they don’t fit in with those around them (26%).

But although many (41%) acknowledged they’re uninvolved in their local community, 31% of survey respondents do actually want to get more involved in local community building and activities.

Zooming in, the top ways people want to get more involved are by attending local festivals, markets and cultural events (41%), building relationships with their neighbors (37%), assisting with community service projects (34%) and shopping at local businesses (34%).

And in order to build sustainable, healthy communities, cultivating balanced connections and relationships will be more important than ever.

So practically, what does this look like? Respondents said that they consider a relationship to be healthy if they feel safe enough to voice their thoughts and opinions (47%) and if there is mutual celebration of each other’s successes (41%).

Along with those, people said that feeling seen and understood (41%), having consistency and reliability in the relationship (41%), and respecting boundaries (41%) are also criteria for a healthy relationship.

In the last year, many Americans have:

• Gone “no contact” with a friend or family member (38%)
• Blocked a friend or family member on social media (36%)
• Removed a friend or family member from a group chat because you had an issue with them (30%)
• Unfollowed a friend or family member on social media (41%)
• Left a group chat because of an issue with a friend or family member in the chat (32%)
• Formally/concretely ended a relationship with a friend or family member (31%)

Top reasons Americans have gone “no contact” with a friend or family member in the last year:

• They were not respectful to me (36%)
• The relationship negatively impacted my mental health (29%)
• They were too negative in general (27%)
• Their values differed too much from mine (24%)
• I outgrew the relationship (19%)
• We disagreed about politics or social issues (19%)

How Americans define a healthy relationship:

• I feel safe enough to voice my thoughts and opinions (47%)
• We celebrate each other’s successes (41%)
• I feel seen and understood (41%)
• There is consistency and reliability (41%)
• My boundaries are respected (41%)
• Time spent together is energizing (39%)
• We can apologize and repair after conflicts (38%)
• My time is valued (37%)

Research methodology:

Talker Research surveyed 2,000 general population Americans who have access to the internet; the survey was commissioned by Talkspace and administered and conducted online by Talker Research between March 20 and 23, 2026. A link to the questionnaire can be found here.

To view the complete methodology as part of AAPOR’s Transparency Initiative, please visit the Talker Research Process and Methodology page.