Why Americans Stopped Bowling Together

Even though more Americans are bowling than ever before, they are doing it alone rather than in leagues. This shift reflects a massive decline in social clubs and community groups, weakening the very fabric of our democracy.

Robert Putnam coined the term social capital to describe the value of our social networks and the inclination to do things for each other. He discovered that people stopped joining civic organizations, bowling leagues, and parent teacher groups starting in the late twentieth century. This isolation makes us less likely to trust our neighbors or participate in public life. When citizens retreat into their own bubbles, the democratic system struggles to function effectively because we lose the practice of working together.