Young Male (American) Loneliness

Young Male (American) Loneliness

From Poll Hub by Marist Poll

May 29, 2026 · 29 min · Episode 446

About this episode

The episode discusses the epidemic of loneliness among young men and explores its causes, along with the impact of COVID-19 on our sense of smell.

We start with what many are calling an epidemic of loneliness and discontentment, and the unique ways this crisis is affecting young men. We explore what may be driving these trends, how attitudes toward relationships, purpose, and social connection are changing, and what the data reveal about modern isolation. We also take a closer look at our sense of smell, something many people naturally lose with age, but that took on new attention during COVID-19. We examine what the research says about how our noses changed during and after the pandemic. And, for our fun fact, we're taking another crack at last week's fun fact about summer vacation. Will this time be better?

Topics covered

  • loneliness
  • young men
  • social connection
  • relationships
  • isolation
  • sense of smell
  • COVID-19

Keywords

  • loneliness
  • young men
  • social connection
  • relationships
  • isolation
  • sense of smell
  • COVID-19
  • research
  • fun fact
  • summer vacation

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