Belonging
Half of Adults Say They're Lonely. Here's What the Family Zoo Knows About Belonging
The short answer: About half of US adults say they experience loneliness, according to the US Surgeon General, and the time Americans spend with friends in person has dropped sharply over the past two decades. Belonging isn't something you either have or don't. It's built in small, repeated moments of being understood. That idea is the heart of Mighty Su: a family of animals from different lands who are each a little difficult, and who each belong anyway.
Figures as of October 30, 2026, from the US Surgeon General's 2023 advisory and the Bureau of Labor Statistics American Time Use Survey released June 25, 2026.
How lonely are we, really?
In 2023 the US Surgeon General issued an advisory calling loneliness and isolation an epidemic. It reported that approximately half of US adults experience loneliness, with some of the highest rates among young adults (US Surgeon General, 2023).
The health stakes are real. The advisory found that loneliness is associated with a 26% higher risk of premature death and social isolation with a 29% higher risk. It compared the effect of lacking social connection to smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day (US Surgeon General, 2023).
Where did all our time together go?
It slipped away a few minutes at a time. The same advisory found that in-person time with friends fell from about 60 minutes a day in 2003 to 20 minutes in 2020. For people aged 15 to 24, it fell from about 150 minutes to 40.
| Category | 2003 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|
| All respondents | 60 min | 20 min |
| Ages 15 to 24 | 150 min | 40 min |
Minutes per day, rounded, as reported in the advisory.
Source: US Surgeon General, Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation (2023)
The newest government data hasn't reversed the trend. In 2025, 30% of Americans spent time socializing and communicating on an average day, down from 38% in 2015, and the average time spent fell from 41 to 35 minutes (BLS, American Time Use Survey, June 25, 2026).
Why does loneliness feel so personal?
Because it usually isn't about being alone. Plenty of people feel lonely in a full house, a busy office or a group chat that never stops buzzing. Loneliness is the gap between the connection you have and the connection you need. It's the feeling of not being seen.
That's why the Family Zoo is built the way it is. Every animal comes from a different land and carries a personality that can be hard to live with: the one who worries, the one who won't stop working, the one who corrects everyone. In most stories, the turning point isn't when someone changes. It's when someone else understands them.
Which Family Zoo character knows this feeling best?
Negative Natalie does. She expects things to go wrong, and her worry can push people away even when she wants them close. Natalie isn't really pessimistic. She's protective. She worries because she cares. What she needs isn't to be told to cheer up, but someone who'll stand under the umbrella with her.
Chill Panda is the counterweight. He doesn't fix anyone. He invites everyone to sit down, breathe and be together for a minute. In a world that's lost two-thirds of its time with friends, that's a quietly radical idea.
And then there's the Zookeeper, drawn from Mighty Su's founder, Su Chen, who came to the United States from China and spent years looking for a place to belong. The Zookeeper's lesson is simple: belonging isn't a door you walk through. It's a house you build together.
What actually helps?
Connection is built in ordinary moments, not grand gestures. The Surgeon General's advisory calls volunteering "a demonstrated and powerful way to advance connection to one's community," and its national strategy includes helping people limit the technology use that crowds out time together (US Surgeon General, 2023).
| Category | Socializing and communicating |
|---|---|
| 2015 | 38% |
| 2025 | 30% |
Source: BLS, American Time Use Survey (released June 25, 2026)
A few Family Zoo ways to start:
- Ask the Natalie in your life what she's worried about, then listen without fixing it.
- Sit with someone like Panda would: no phone, no agenda, five minutes.
- Invite one more person under the umbrella. A neighbor, a new coworker, the parent at pickup who always stands alone.
The Zookeeper's take
When I first arrived somewhere new, I kept waiting to wake up one day and finally belong, all at once. It never happened that way. It happened when a neighbor learned my name, when someone asked me to teach them a recipe, when I helped someone else find their way. If you feel lonely right now, you're not broken, and you're far from alone. Start with one small moment of being seen, and give one to someone else. That's how every family begins.
FAQ
How common is loneliness in the United States? The US Surgeon General reported in 2023 that approximately half of US adults experience loneliness, with some of the highest rates among young adults.
Is loneliness bad for your health? According to the Surgeon General's advisory, loneliness is associated with a 26% higher risk of premature death and social isolation with a 29% higher risk.
What is Mighty Su? Mighty Su is an original character universe from SuPlushies. Its first generation, The Family Zoo, follows animals from different lands who share one home, guided by the Mighty Zookeeper. The stories are about belonging, empathy and the different personalities found in every family.
Which Family Zoo character am I? Take the Family Zoo character quiz to find out, and to see who you might recognize in your own family.
If loneliness is weighing on you and you're having thoughts of harming yourself, you can call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in the US.
