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Does Direct Selling Have a Unique Opportunity to Help?
When the US Surgeon General issued a report in 2023 detailing America’s struggle with loneliness and isolation, we were on the heels of a pandemic where varying degrees of social separation had been necessary to maintain individual and group health. So, perhaps, it came as little surprise to find out that this era deeply affected us.
Data collected in 2020, mid-COVID, showed people spent more and more time—nearly six hours each day—alone. That’s over 166 hours each month tucked away by themselves, and they engaged socially with friends a mere 10 hours a month.
The pandemic only accelerated trends that had been on the rise for decades. An American Time Use Survey indicates the rise in alone-time experienced in 2020 had not yet returned to typical levels by 2022, and more people chose to be alone more often even with family members in the house.
Human brains aren’t hardwired for a solitary existence. People turning inward runs contrary to what evolution dictates necessary for us to survive. People need people.
Back in 1990, 27 percent of respondents indicated they had fewer than three close friendships, yet almost half of Americans (49%) reported this in 2021. Overall, Americans’ social networks have been shrinking for decades and minimizing our chances to form the deep connections with other people that we so desperately need to thrive.
“Healthy relationships, where we feel seen and where we can be ourselves, can be a powerful source of joy and support and can be buffers to stress,” Vivek Murthy, US Surgeon General for the Biden Administration, wrote in My Parting Prescription for America in December 2024.
Differentiating Social Isolation and Loneliness
Social connection is as biologically fundamental as food, water and shelter. It is also dynamic and lives on a continuum in our lives. Illness, relocations, job transitions and life events like parenthood or caregiving, all impact social isolation.
It’s also influenced by the physical assets, programs and policies of the communities in which people grow up, live and interact, as well as social policies, cultural norms, the technological environment, the political environment and macroeconomic factors.
It cannot be understated that conditions such as cooperation, discrimination, inequality and the collective social connectedness or disconnectedness of a community also weigh heavy in individual social connectedness.
And while social isolation and loneliness are related, they are not the same. To be socially isolated does not necessarily equate to loneliness. Regardless, neither bodes well for long-term health, according to the Surgeon General’s report.
“Loneliness and social isolation increase the risk for premature death by 26 percent and 29 percent, respectively. More broadly, lacking social connection can increase the risk for premature death as much as smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day,” the report states. There’s also a substantial increase in risk for heart disease, stroke, anxiety, depression and dementia.
The ebb and flow of social connection throughout our lives can lead to transient loneliness, which comes and goes and may even motivate people to act to find new ways to connect. But chronic loneliness—with or without social isolation—is vastly different.
Too often people think someone is either lonely or they are not. But everyone is on a gradient, with more social connection leading to better outcomes. Just because a person reports an absence of loneliness, does not mean their social connections contribute to their overall resilience or enable them to thrive. Deep loneliness can still be felt in a crowded room because lack of high-quality, close relationships is equally as bad as lack of quantity.
Loneliness and isolation do not discriminate. Anyone can experience it. While gender, political affiliation and education level matter less, there are high risk groups including those in poor physical or mental health, with disabilities, lack of financial security, single parents and those who live alone, ethnic and racial minorities, LGBTQ+ individuals, rural residents and victims of domestic violence, among other marginalized peoples.
The Harvard Graduate School of Education’s Making Caring Common Project (MCCP), working with YouGov, dug deeper into the emotional, social and existential dimensions of loneliness, who or what Americans blame and the types of personal and community solutions they endorse, as well as the causes.
They drew on the views of a nationally representative pool of 1,500 adults surveyed in May 2024. Working with More in Common’s Americans in Conversation (AIC) panel in August last year, they also garnered responses from 193 adults to hone in on loneliness and the nature of adults’ social connections. The resulting publication, Loneliness in America: Just the Tip of the Iceberg? by Milena Batanova, Richard Weissbourd and Joseph McIntyre was published in October.
We tend to think of loneliness as an issue for the elderly, but the rate of loneliness among young adults is much higher than adults over 65, according to MCCP research.
18-29-year-olds….24%
30-44-year-olds….29%
45-64-year-olds….20%
65 and over….10%
The Surgeon General’s report indicates that the number of lonely young people grew every year between 1976 and 2019.
Income disparities are also a differentiator when it comes to loneliness.
Less than $30,000/year….29%
$30,000 – $49,000/year….21%
$50,000 – $100,000/year….19%
$100,000 and up/year….18%
But beyond these simple metrics lay complexities that, perhaps, Matthew Shaer of the New York Times, summarized best when he wrote, “When we talk about loneliness, what we’re actually talking about are all the issues that swirl perilously underneath it: alienation and isolation, distrust and disconnection and above all, a sense that many of the institutions and traditions that once held us together are less available to us or no longer of interest.”
The Loneliness and Mental Health Correlation
A strong correlation exists between loneliness and mental health. Eighty-one percent of adults who were lonely also said they suffered with anxiety or depression; compared to 29 percent of those who were less lonely. Many people, it seems, get stuck in a loop of chicken-or-egg, not knowing which comes first—loneliness or anxiety/depression. Therefore, loneliness may not only be the cause, but also the result of wide-ranging feelings that interact in complex ways that induce and deepen feelings of meaninglessness.
MCCP reports social-emotional loneliness or not feeling part of meaningful groups or communities stood at 67 percent among lonely respondents, while 61 percent of lonely people exist without enough close friends or family and 50 percent lack a single person to rely on for deep emotional support.
Then comes reporting on existential loneliness, which culminates in feeling fundamentally disconnected from others or the world. Sixty-five percent report this; 63 percent do not feel their place in the world is important or relevant; and 40 percent (most often Democrats and Independents) don’t feel “part of this country.”
By any measure, these results are staggering and demand not only further examination for the health and well-being of all Americans, but also actions beyond that of the individuals who are suffering.
“Our data also reinforces the role that all of us have to play in reducing loneliness. There is only so much lonely people can do if the ones they feel close to are distracted by technology or so overworked or exhausted that they can’t devote quality time together—among the main sources of blame cited by our respondents. Encouragingly, the solution people endorsed most, including lonely adults, is available to almost all of us: ‘taking time each day to reach out to a friend or family member,’” Making Caring Common wrote.
How Can Direct Selling Contribute?
This is where the direct selling industry may serve a meaningful role in chipping away at America’s epidemic of loneliness. Arguably, it may not be the responsibility of a company or an industry to solve their employees’ or sales organizations’ loneliness or mental health issues. However, it is in their best interests to have teams comprised of healthy and productive individuals.
By the broadest definition, direct selling companies are communities, possessing many of the attributes of a “small town.” While they may not share a geographic location, its “citizens” willingly come together sharing common interests and goals, creating and living within a common culture and often working for the benefit of a greater good. They befriend, educate and support one another in ways that are completely unique to the business model. And research shows that it is through just such community building and social connectedness that loneliness has its best chance of dissipating.
The social infrastructure of a community—the places, programs and philosophies—all create opportunities for individuals, lonely or not, to build social capital. These are the accessible resources and people that turn into social networks, which so many of the lonely lack. Social networks are comprised of individuals who bridge or connect people outside of a lonely person’s core group and those who link them to people of differing power status within the community.
Through the perceived or actual availability of emotional, informational or tangible social support delivered by the social network, a sense of solidarity, strong social connections and high social participation forms a social cohesion that is beneficial to both individuals and the community itself. Trust formed within that community can improve population health, social functioning and economic prosperity.
At its core, the direct selling industry is driven by social connectedness. The uplines and downlines of the most successful field organizations already reflect corrective strategies to the loneliness epidemic, so too does the industry’s focus on community-building through culture.
Sarah Shadonix, Founder and CEO of Scout & Cellar firmly believes direct selling can help combat loneliness, particularly in young adults. “Direct selling is all about people—building relationships, connection, adding value, mentorship and teamwork. For young adults, it offers a flexible full- or part-time career with a built-in support system. Whether it’s virtual meetups, events or simply working with like-minded individuals, it creates opportunities for connection, confidence and purpose, which are key to fighting loneliness.”
With supporting frameworks like these already in place, perhaps, it is not such a big leap to think that direct selling companies could help remedy the effects of social isolation and loneliness by lifting characteristics like caring, inclusion and belonging closer to the surface in their day-to-day operations, messaging, training, recruitment and management.
It’s exciting to think that direct selling can provide not only a financial lifeline, but a social one as well. As Shadonix explained, “Direct selling is more than just a career—it fosters genuine connections and a sense of purpose. It provides an opportunity to be part of a supportive community where success becomes a collective journey where everyone encourages and celebrates each other’s growth.”
I See You. I Know You.
Jordan Essentials offers a case study in breaking through loneliness.
It’s been 25 years since a lonesome, 32-year-old mom felt pressures so many people feel today—too little money and too little time to deeply connect with others. The obligations, responsibilities and restrictions that come with parenthood overran Nancy Bogart’s days. “I was so lonely. Because I was raising my kids, I was very isolated, trying to do the right things and trying to make some extra money,” the Founder and CEO of Jordan Essentials explained.
In 1999, a landline phone and a few friends from MOPs—Mothers of Preschoolers—launched her Lotion Bar and set Bogart on a personal journey to not only reconnect socially but also create a direct sales, multi-level, party plan company that has helped others do the same.
For that, Bogart is eternally grateful and remains firmly rooted in party plan—a business model based on the belly-to-belly, door-to-door legacy upon which direct selling was built and continues to gain strength due to the human desire to be seen, connect, learn from and rely on others.
“It was my network of people that really gave it life,” Bogart shared. Jordan Essentials thrives today because of the networks of thousands of people. They are setting all-time recruitment records and have grown for five consecutive years.
Bogart insists direct selling is not just a monetary equation. There’s intrinsic value in caring about other people and considering our impact on family and society. “There’s an intimacy in knowing somebody in person or through a real relationship.”
Bogart seeks to break free from the anonymity of digital platforms and use tech to build a foundation of common ground that keeps people excited for the day they finally get to meet in person.
“I have people who I recruited from across the country and never met before, but we became the closest of friends. After two years, we finally met at a conference. There’s a depth in that genuine relationship.”
But it’s vital to meet someone where they are—to consider the shoes they are standing in. How can a company insist that a mother of triplets orchestrate a trip to attend training or a convention? Simply finding childcare would be daunting and that mom deserves better, according to Bogart.
“Our (virtual) attendance at events is still very high. The hybrid model allows people to stay connected. To say if you’re not there in person, you won’t get trained and you won’t get the value of connection. It’s like telling people ‘you stay lonely; you stay isolated.’ That’s something I won’t let happen. I want them to know ‘I see you. I know you.’” That’s the power of connection.
From the March/April 2025 issue of Direct Selling News magazine.
