The Spark Weekly | 2.1.26: Social Isolation and Conversations About Race

The Spark · Feb 2, 2026 · 43m

Then we turn to a different kind of deficit: America’s growing social isolation. The Barnes Family Foundation, based in Bethlehem, has released its first Social Connection in America report — a sweeping look at how connected (or disconnected) people feel today. The findings are stark: disengagement is widespread, and certain groups — including people with lower incomes, less education, those who have never married, LGBTQ+ individuals, and some racial and ethnic communities — are especially at risk of social isolation. Yet, in a hopeful counterpoint, 72% of Americans still report a sense of…