Chuck Norris Exposes America’s Loneliness Epidemic and Its Cure
By Movieguide® Contributor
Chuck Norris recently shared why an epidemic of loneliness and isolation is sweeping across America and revealed its cure.
“Scholars say living alone is not a trend so much as a transformation: Across much of the world, large numbers of people are living alone for the first time in recorded history,” Daniel de Visé explained in a recent article.
“The U.S. Census shows that ‘solitaries’ made up 8 percent of all households in 1940. The share of solo households doubled to 18 percent in 1970 and more than tripled, to an estimated 29 percent, by 2022,” de Vise continued.
While the rise in solitaries corresponds with Americans marrying later and a falling birthrate, Norris believes this rise comes primarily from a “skyrocketing distrust of others.”
In 2019, Pew Research revealed that the decline of trust in America is at a record-breaking high.
“Trust is an essential elixir for public life and neighborly relations, and when Americans think about trust these days, they worry,” Pew’s report said. “Two-thirds of adults think other Americans have little or no confidence in the federal government.”
“Some see fading trust as a sign of cultural sickness and national decline. Some also tie it to what they perceive to be increased loneliness and excessive individualism. About half of Americans (49%) link the decline in interpersonal trust to a belief that people are not as reliable as they used to be,” the report added.
Therefore, Norris argues, as people become distrustful of those around them, the logical response would be to isolate oneself from others.
All of this has culminated in a society that is lonelier than ever.
In 2019, NPR reported that “more than three in five Americans are lonely, with more and more people reporting feeling like they are left out, poorly understood and lacking companionship.”
Norris argues that social media is largely to blame as the hours we spend on it every day take away from the time we have real contact with others.
“Social media use was tied to loneliness as well, with 73% of very heavy social media users considered lonely, as compared with 52% of light users,” the report continued. “[Thus,] feelings of isolation were prevalent across generations. Gen Z-people who were 18 to 22 years old when surveyed – had the highest average loneliness.”
Between 2010 and 2013, the average American spent 6.5 hours per week with friends. Following the pandemic, Americans spent only an average of 2 hours and 45 minutes a week with close friends.
As the time people spend with friends decreases, it’s no wonder they feel more lonely.
What do people do to fill the hole that loneliness leaves them with? Many Americans turn to worldly solutions–money, fame, success–to fill that void. However, Norris understands that those things can only multiply loneliness.
“For too many years, I bit the hook of the Hollywood lifestyle,” Norris admits. “It gave flickers of temporary highs and happiness but no permanent remedy to the longings of the soul.”
Experiencing those highs helped Norris realize the importance of community.
“We might think we are islands, self-sufficient strongholds, but isolation can slowly kill us, literally. We might live alone, but we shouldn’t be alone,” he said.
Rather than turning to worldly things to cure loneliness, Norris encourages people to turn to God, who satisfies every desire.
Norris quotes Randy Alcorn, saying, “God is primary; all other forms of happiness – relationships, created things, and material pleasures – are secondary. If we don’t consciously see God as their source, these secondary things intended for enjoyment can master us… When we invite God into our happiness, we become aware of how He invites us into His.”
In an isolated and lonely America, the solution is to turn to God and then find community with others.
Movieguide® previously reported:
However, Norris suggests that our loneliness points to our need for something, or someone greater than what this world has to offer.
“We believe loneliness doesn’t have to be detrimental. In the end, maybe it’s nothing more than a road sign intent on leading us to a larger picture about ourselves and others. In that respect, it’s like homesickness. It can drive us to a destination,” he said. “Gena and I believe the two primary relationships that can fill our loneliness cup are with God and others. Both are critical, you can’t have one without the other. The former empowers us for the latter, which is why our relationship with God should be our greatest priority. We properly love others because He first loved us.”
“The Christmas season reminds us of this relational reality. It holds the cure for loneliness. It is the pot of gold at the end of the loneliness rainbow,” he said. “The Gospel writer Matthew, who documented Jesus’ life and ministry, cited the prophet Isaiah, who said that the Messiah would be born 2,000 years ago and be called ‘Immanuel,’ which means in Hebrew ‘God with us.’ God with skin on.”
