"If It's Uncomfortable, They Cut Ties": Three Out of Five U.S. Gen Z Have Broken Off Contact With Family or Friends in the Past Year

'No Contact' Responses Reach 38% in the U.S.

More Than Half Do Not Resume Contact After Cutting Ties

47% Report "Feeling Lonely in Daily Life"

Three out of five members of Generation Z in the United States (those born between 1997 and 2012) have cut off contact with a family member or friend in the past year.

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According to reports from foreign media outlets such as Daily Voice on April 29 (local time), U.S. market research firm Talker Research conducted a survey of 2,000 Americans from March 20 to 23 at the request of the online psychotherapy platform Talkspace. The results showed that the proportion of so-called "no contact" respondents—those who said they had cut off contact with a family member or friend in the past year—reached 38%. Broken down by age group, the rate was 60% for Generation Z, 50% for Millennials, 38% for Generation X, and 20% for Baby Boomers.

The most common reason given for ending these relationships was "because the other person did not respect me," cited by 36% of respondents. This was followed by "because the relationship had a negative impact on my mental health" (29%) and "because the other person was excessively negative" (27%). "Differences in values" accounted for 24%, while "political or social disagreements" accounted for 19%.

Separation behaviors using social networking services (SNS) were also notable. In the past year, 41% of all respondents said they had unfollowed a family member or friend on SNS. The proportion who had blocked someone was 36%, and 32% had left a group chat on their own. Additionally, 30% said they had removed an acquaintance from a group chat.

In this survey, 31% of respondents said they had officially ended a relationship with a friend or family member, and among those who had cut ties, 59% had not resumed contact to date.

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A total of 73% said that when facing difficulties in relationships, they would rather distance themselves than resolve issues through conversation. Dr. Nicole Bandes-Hardy, Chief Medical Officer (CMO) at Talkspace, who led the survey, stated, "This indicates that the tendency to avoid conflict in relationships is becoming increasingly common," adding, "Such an approach can make it difficult to maintain meaningful relationships over the long term and may lead to greater loneliness."

Meanwhile, 47% of respondents reported feeling lonely in their daily lives, and 34% said their current sense of social connectedness was lower than five years ago. Many also reported using technology to reduce contact with others: 68% cited online ordering, 64% used self-checkout, and 42% used chatbots or automated customer service. As many as 40% said they would deliberately cross the street to avoid having a five-minute conversation with someone they know.

The survey also asked what respondents considered a healthy relationship. The highest proportion (47%) said a relationship in which they could safely express their thoughts and opinions was healthy. This was followed by relationships where achievements are celebrated together, where they feel understood, where there is consistency and reliability, and where personal boundaries are respected (each at 41%). Dr. Bandes-Hardy advised, "Prioritizing communication, setting healthy boundaries, and remaining engaged in relationships—even when it is uncomfortable—can help maintain relationships that support mental health."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.