The survey from left-leaning Data for Progress finds significant, double-digit declines in Americans’ participation in several key social activities from 1995 to 2026. People are 13% less likely to go out to breakfast at a restaurant, 19% less likely to go on a picnic, 20% less likely to attend church, and 21% less likely to entertain people in their homes.
The decline in “entertaining people in the home” is one of the steepest, with 88% of Americans willing to entertain in 1995 compared to 67% in 2026.
Even Derek Thompson, an American journalist, wrote about how the nation is witnessing the “death of hosting in America”
Dr. Alex McFarland of “Exploring the Word” on American Family Radio (AFR) says that, beyond the spiritual benefits of having friends over, it's just plain fun.
“Gathering around the table, breaking bread, sharing meals, that's just one of the great joys of life,” McFarland says.
He says screen time has replaced table talk. The glut of media options makes it easier to sit at home and doomscroll than it is to pick up the house for guests.
“One of the ironies of the modern world is we live in the age of social media and our culture is less social than it's ever been,” McFarland states.
In fact, two social activities that have seen double-digit increases in the last 30 years are using the internet and playing a home video game — not surprising, since those technologies were brand new in 1995.
The bottom line, McFarland says, is that entertaining in the home is one of the easiest ways to fulfill the Great Commission.
“All of life is about stewardship, and all of life for the Christian is about the Great Commission,” McFarland says. “The Great Commission requires that we get involved in the lives of people, and we need each other.”
