It is an epidemic that has enormous mental, emotional and spiritual implications, and it is one of the clearest signs that we are a society that is coming apart at the seams.  One of the primary reasons why there is so much loneliness in our society is because the institution of the family is in decline.  Today, the proportion of the population that is single and childless is at an all-time high, and the proportion of the population that is married with children is at an all-time low.  How can anyone possibly claim that we are headed for a bright future when we are facing such alarming societal trends?

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 40 percent of Americans report feeling lonely at least some of the time…

The latest version of the US Census Bureau's Household Pulse Survey — a broad gauge of the economic and social issues affecting American households — found some not-so-surprising news: Americans are lonely.

The survey conducted between August 20 and September 16 reported that 1 in 8 people (12.6%) was feeling lonely either "always" or "usually," including nearly a quarter (23.3%) of the younger population (those aged 18 to 29). Since the Household Pulse Survey at the start of the year, slightly more people are now feeling lonely a lot of the time. 40% of people reported feeling lonely at least sometimes.

Those are very troubling numbers.

But of course others that have studied our epidemic of loneliness have come up with similar numbers.

In fact, a report put out by the U.S. Surgeon General concluded that close to half of the U.S. population experiences feelings of loneliness…

Last year, the US Surgeon General released a worrying report about the deep sense of loneliness that many Americans are experiencing. The report, "Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation," found that approximately 50 percent of adults in the country are feeling lonely, and that people of all ages are spending significantly less time with others.