Over the last twenty years, Americans have been going to fewer parties. In 2003, the average person spent about three hours a month at parties. Today, it is only ninety minutes. The biggest change is among young people (ages 15–24): their party time has dropped by almost 70%. Some experts worry about this because parties are places to learn how to talk to others, make friends, and even date.
This fall in social time is part of a longer trend. In 2000, a researcher named Robert Putnam wrote Bowling Alone. He showed that since the 1970s, people had been meeting less in clubs and groups. That “retreat from the physical world” has sped up in the last twenty years.
What are young people doing instead? Mostly, they are on screens—phones, video games, and TV. A report said that over 90% of the time on Facebook or Instagram is spent watching videos, not looking at friends. Screen time is easy and convenient, but it often feels less meaningful. Time with people, outside the home, is usually the most meaningful. If we do less of it, society may lose important skills and connections.
Vocabulary :
• decline (noun/verb): a fall; to go down.
• socialize (verb): to spend time talking with other people.
• isolation (noun): being alone, away from others.
• generation (noun): people born around the same time.
• trend (noun): a change in what people do over time.
• retreat (noun/verb): a move back; to pull away from something.
• screen time (noun): time spent using phones, TV, or computers.
• meaningful (adj): important and giving a strong feeling or purpose.
• convenience (noun): ease; something that is quick and simple to do.
• social capital (noun): helpful relationships and trust in a community.
• statistic (noun): a number that shows a fact or change.
• staggering (adj): very big and surprising.
• to funnel (verb): to move or push into one place or direction.
• content (noun): videos, posts, pictures, or text online.
• engagement (noun): people’s actions with content (likes, views, comments).
• to hang out (phrasal verb): to relax or spend time with someone.
• to order in (phrasal verb): to ask for food to be delivered to your home.
• party / partying (noun/verb): a social event; to go to social events.