Alive with Steve Burns

Why More People Are Living Alone Than Ever Before

Mar 11, 2026
Guest
Eric Klinenberg
Eric Klinenberg, NYU sociologist and author of Going Solo, explores why nearly 30% of U.S. households are single-person and how social structures enable solo living. He discusses the psychology of solitude versus loneliness. Topics include the role of technology and dating apps, gendered pressures around reproduction, Nordic welfare models, and how living alone reshapes social life and aging.
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INSIGHT

Why Living Alone Is A Modern Possibility

  • Living alone became viable recently because affluence and the modern cult of the individual let personal preferences trump traditional household economics.
  • Eric Klinenberg links rising solo households to 20th-century shifts: divorce acceptance, women’s economic independence, and valuing autonomous selves.
INSIGHT

Singlehood Still Carries Social Stigma

  • Single people face stigma as a 'spoiled identity' where others define them by unmarried status, affecting family and workplace treatment.
  • Klinenberg cites 1950s surveys showing strong moral disapproval historically, though attitudes have shifted.
INSIGHT

Living Alone Often Means More Social Activity

  • Living alone does not equal social isolation; solo dwellers often socialize more than married people by visiting bars, volunteering, and seeing friends.
  • Klinenberg found solo households in wealthy welfare states (Scandinavia) benefit from shared services that enable independence.
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