A new study from Leo US suggests that what’s truly fracturing American society isn’t politics, economics, or ideology, but something far more personal: a growing lack of respect.
Released as part of Leo’s 2025 HumanKind Study, the research surveyed more than 2,500 Americans and challenges the dominant narratives driving public discourse. While cultural commentary often centers on partisan divides, the study points to a deeper, shared emotional experience that cuts across party lines, income levels, and generations.
The most striking finding is stark in its simplicity. Forty-five percent of Americans say they “don’t feel like very many people genuinely think or care about me.” It’s a statistic that speaks less to polarization and more to alienation, revealing a widespread sense of being unseen and undervalued in daily life.
Developed in partnership with Ipsos and enhanced through CoreAI-driven analysis, the proprietary study aligns with Leo’s evolving “HI x AI” philosophy, which emphasizes human intelligence amplified by artificial intelligence. Together, the research examines the state of humanity in the U.S. across economics, ideals, relationships, work, health, and personal agency.
What emerges is a consistent pattern. Nearly half of respondents say they’ve actively tried to reduce their time on social media, and parents now express more concern about their children’s phone use than about traditional playground safety.
Forty-nine percent report that community spaces are disappearing, making it harder to connect with others in real life. Among higher earners, 72 percent of those making over $125,000 believe wealth determines access to quality healthcare. In the workplace, 48 percent of Americans say they feel their job could disappear at any moment.
Yet the picture is not entirely bleak. Despite feeling disrespected by larger systems, Americans remain surprisingly hopeful on a personal level. Seventy-seven percent say they feel optimistic about their own lives over the next year, suggesting resilience and optimism persist even as institutional trust erodes.
For Leo, that contradiction represents opportunity. The full 55-page report outlines actionable ways brands can help “bridge the respect gap” across six areas: attention, relationships, health, work, ideals, and personal agency. Rather than exploiting attention or fueling division, the study argues that brands have a meaningful role to play in restoring respect by showing up more human, more accountable, and more aware of the emotional realities people are navigating.
In a moment when Americans feel talked at rather than listened to, the HumanKind Study reframes the challenge facing brands and institutions alike. The path forward, it suggests, begins not with louder messaging but with genuine respect.
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