I read everything I can find about the friendship recession. I have Google News Alerts set up and I go through a ton of articles every week. The best ones end up here.
This page is organized by category. Jump to what interests you. And check out my original articles for deeper analysis and practical advice on making and keeping friends.
Research and Statistics
Data-driven pieces exploring the scope and causes of declining friendships. See also: Who’s Actually Lonely in America?, Men’s Friendship Recession: The Statistics, The Friendship Divide, Why Texting Your Friends Isn’t Enough, and Men Used to Write Love Letters to Their Friends
The Friendship Recession — Big Think by Richard Reeves (April 2023)
Brookings fellow Richard Reeves on why Americans without friends have increased 250% and why the ideal number of close friends is around three or four.
The State of American Friendship — Survey Center on American Life (2021)
The landmark survey that put numbers to the friendship recession. Men with zero close friends jumped from 3% to 15% since 1990.
American Men Suffer a Friendship Recession — National Review by Daniel Cox (July 2021)
The original analysis from the Survey Center director. Men have smaller circles and report being less emotionally connected to the friends they do have.
The Surprising Truth About Loneliness in America — Vox by Allie Volpe (Aug 2024)
Who are the loneliest people in America? The demographics and data behind loneliness may not be what you’d expect.
The “Friendship Divide” Explained — Big Think by Jonny Thomson (Oct 2024)
How education levels affect your ability to connect. People have fewer friends than previous generations across different countries.
The Friendship Crisis — Inside Higher Ed by Steven Mintz (March 2023)
Despite being materially better off than ever, Americans face a collapse in friendship, social clubs, community groups, and family formation.
What Is a Friendship Recession? — Reader’s Digest by Jessica Kaplan (May 2023)
An accessible primer on the friendship recession with key stats from the American Perspectives Survey.
Is America Suffering a ‘Social Recession’? — The Guardian by Anton Cebalo (Jan 2023)
The decline goes beyond friendship: close relationships, trust, labor participation, and community involvement are all dropping.
Are We in a Friendship Recession? — by Turner Novak (Dec 2022)
COVID accelerated a trend that had been building for a decade. 90% of CNN poll respondents felt the country was in a mental health crisis.
Men’s Friendships
The male friendship crisis is one of the most documented aspects of the friendship recession. See also: The Male Friendship Crisis: What the Data Really Shows, 11 Things I Learned About Why Men Need More Friends, Why Men Lose Their Friends, Treat Your Friendships Like Exercise, All the Lonely Men, Side-by-Side: How Men Build Friendships, and One Trip Changed How I Think About Male Friendship
Why Is It So Hard for Men to Make Close Friends? — NYT by Catherine Pearson (Nov 2022)
15% of men say they have no close friends at all. Men are less likely than women to rely on friends for emotional support.
Why American Men Say They Are in a ‘Friendship Recession’ — PBS NewsHour by Geoff Bennett (Jan 2024)
20% of single men now say they have no close friends. PBS traveled to Phoenix to explore male loneliness firsthand.
Lonely Men: The Sounds of Silence — Deseret by Michael J. Mooney (April 2024)
Men have fewer close friends than women, and men today have fewer than men 30 years ago. An in-depth look at the epidemic.
‘We Don’t Do Deep Emotional Discussions’ — The Guardian by Sam Wollaston (May 2023)
Anthropologist Robin Dunbar on how men’s friendships are “clubby” and activity-based, while women’s are personal and dyadic.
Men Have Fewer Friends Than Ever — Vox by Aubrey Hirsch (August 2022)
Longer working hours, more job-switching, and socialization that teaches boys to hide vulnerability are all contributing factors.
Why Men Need More Friends — Salon by Mary Elizabeth Williams (June 2023)
Experts say men should explore every outlet for connection: running groups, trivia teams, or whatever gets them face-to-face.
In Search of The Great Male Friend — Psychotherapy Networker by Chris Lyford (April 2024)
“Life is pretty darn good. But something’s missing: I could really use a Great Male Friend.” One man’s honest quest.
Navigating the Male Friendship Recession — Psychotherapy Networker (Mar 2024)
A conversation with Mark Greene of Remaking Manhood about the state of men and the male friendship recession.
Men Are Lonely — LAist by Megan Botel (Aug 2024)
Men tend to be the loneliest but have the hardest time admitting it. How some men are forging new friendships.
The Great Male Friendship Recession — Impactus by Jordan Harnum (Oct 2023)
Men with six or more close friends fell from 55% to 27% since 1990. Men without any close friends jumped from 3% to 15%.
I Love You, Man: The Male Friendship Recession — WWNO by Haili Blassingame (Dec 2023)
Two psychologists who specialize in men’s friendships, plus two best friends of 30 years on keeping the connection alive.
Men Suffer ‘Friendship Recession’ — New York Post by Adriana Diaz (July 2021)
Declining religious involvement, lower marriage rates, and workplace changes are creating a surge of disconnection.
American Men Experiencing ‘Friendship Recession’ — Fox News by Ann W. Schmidt (July 2021)
Single men are hit hardest. 20% of men not in a relationship report having no close friends at all.
American Men Suffer ‘Friendship Recession’ — Daily Mail by Rory Tingle (July 2021)
Nearly one in six men don’t have a single close friend. The number with at least six plummeted from 55% to 27%.
Why Friendships Among Men Are So Important — Greater Good by Jill Suttie (March 2023)
Only 27% of men in 2021 said they had at least six close friends, down from 55% in 1990. The health impacts are significant.
My Husband Never Sees His Friends — iNews by Lucy Dunn (July 2023)
A wife’s perspective on the male friendship recession. Her husband can count his friends on one hand and barely sees them.
Why Men Find It Hard to Make Friends — iNews by Simon Kelner (Aug 2024)
Without golf, one writer doubts his male friendships would exist. Activities like sports are lifelines for male connection.
How Men Can Have Stronger Friendships — Verywell Mind by LaKeisha Fleming (Sept 2024)
Almost half of women share feelings with friends, but that drops to less than a third for men. A therapist explains how men can build stronger bonds.
Valentine’s Day and… Palentine’s Day? — Deseret by Brooklyn Hughes Roemer (Feb 2024)
41% of women receive emotional support from friends vs. 21% of men. No generational differences. All men, every age, are equally unlikely to share feelings with friends.
The Lonely Bloke’s Guide to Friendship — Positive News by Max Dickins (March 2023)
He planned to propose but realized he had no one to call as best man. An honest look at men’s friendship problems and solutions.
Making Friends as Adults
Practical perspectives on the universal challenge of building friendships later in life. See also: Making Friends as an Adult Is Hard. Here’s the Secret., The Friendship Divide, Put Down Your Phone and Make a Friend, and 42 Thoughts on Join or Die and Bowling Alone
One Trip Changed My Mind About Making New Friends — NYT by Tom Vanderbilt (April 2024)
It takes 40-60 hours together to become casual friends. For older adults, that time is harder to find. A trip that proved it’s still possible.
Responding to a ‘Friendship Recession’ — Rotary by Kate Silver (July 2024)
Phil Clarke, in his early 70s, set a goal to make new friends. How community organizations are helping people reconnect.
Friendship Recession: How to Meet New Friends — News4Jax (July 2023)
The pandemic and social media made people “rusty” at making friends. Practical ways to forge new connections.
The Friendship Recession — Good Men Project by Samuel Dunsiger (Mar 2024)
As a 30-something, making new friends feels almost foreign. Making plans is like scheduling a dental appointment six months out.
Why the Friendship Recession Matters — UW Medicine by Emily Boynton (February 2023)
Loneliness was rising before the pandemic. 20% of younger adults report being lonely. What UW Medicine says about coping.
Learning to Connect With Friends Without Alcohol — NYT by Lilly Dancyger (Sept 2024)
Drinking builds social bonds. But what happens when you stop relying on alcohol to make and maintain connections?
The Friendship Recession: How to Cope — Healthy Place by Mahevash Shaikh (June 2023)
When was the last time you had a real heart-to-heart conversation? If you can’t remember, you may have been hit by the friendship recession.
It’s Really Hard to Make and Keep Friends — Chris Cillizza (Nov 2023)
A political journalist realizes he’d become the friendless dad he swore he’d never be. Plenty of Twitter followers, very few real friends.
Loneliness and Social Isolation
The broader context of isolation, loneliness, and declining community. See also: Why Is the Loneliness Epidemic So Hard to Cure?, Who’s Actually Lonely in America?, and Why Texting Your Friends Isn’t Enough
Why Is the Loneliness Epidemic So Hard to Cure? — by Matthew Shaer (Aug 2024)
Harvard researcher Rick Weissbourd wanted to get under the hood of loneliness: what it feels like, what causes it, and why it’s so persistent.
‘Friendship Recession’ Is Ravaging Our Health — Indianapolis Recorder by Jay Height (2024)
The friendship recession is a solvable problem. It doesn’t require a new government agency or tax dollars. But it does require action.
Why In-Person Friendships Are Better for Health — Washington Post by Marta Zaraska (May 2024)
High-quality friendships produce a health effect comparable to eating a Mediterranean diet. But they have to be in person.
The Friendship Recession — Dr. Caroline Leaf (Mar 2024)
The average 30-year-old shed 4.5 friends since the pandemic started. 18-24 year olds are now more likely to have no close friends than 75-year-olds.
Why We Should Care — Millennial Journal by Meghan Clark (Oct 2023)
Lacking social connection increases premature death risk as much as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. The Surgeon General’s report explained.
A Problem for the Common Good — U.S. Catholic by Meghan J. Clark (July 2023)
Despite social media and the language of connection, Americans struggle to build friendships. The problem has grown since Bowling Alone was published 25 years ago.
You’re Not Alone — Denison Forum by Steve Yount (Jan 2024)
Although half of Americans lost touch with a friend during the pandemic, nearly as many made a new one. The recession isn’t just COVID’s fault.
Curing the Crisis — Catholic News Herald by Dr. Christopher Kaczor (August 2022)
Aristotle’s teaching on friendship and what it can tell us about building new connections today.
Rebuilding Communities — The Daily Telegraph by Andrew Leigh (May 2023)
Even before the pandemic, Australians were declining in organized sport, volunteering, religious services, and community organizations.
Opinion and Personal Essays
First-person accounts and commentary from writers experiencing the friendship recession themselves. See also: One Trip Changed How I Think About Male Friendship, 42 Thoughts on Join or Die and Bowling Alone, and Are We in a Friendship Recession?
Scientists Warn of a Friendship Recession. I’m Part of It. — Medium by Addie Page (Feb 2023)
“I’m thirsty for friends. It’s embarrassing.” An honest essay about courting acquaintances as an adult.
The Friendship Recession — Star Tribune by Andy Brehm (Jan 2025)
A son remembers his dad who always made time for his countless close friendships, even in the midst of a busy life.
All the Lonely Men — Irish Times by Roe McDermott (Sept 2024)
Men face a crisis of loneliness. Rethinking the shape and structure of their friendships can help.
Friendship Recession — Pine County News by Emeritus Gene Johnson (Nov 2024)
The decline in friendships due to death, moving, job transfers, and the reality of getting older.
Less of Us Have Close Friends. Why? — xoNecole by Shellie Warren (Oct 2024)
If you don’t like your partner, you can’t love them through the hard times. Friendship is the foundation of every relationship.
The Friendship Recession — Ted Bauer (Jan 2024)
A writer who has covered friendships extensively shares his take on why the problem keeps growing.
Combat the Friendship Recession — Pepperdine Graphic by Faith Oh (Jan 2024)
A college student reflects on how COVID made it tempting to choose alone time over going out with friends.
The Friendship Recession — The Catalyst (Nov 2023)
Everything is more expensive, competitive, and demanding. Friendship has become another job. People lack the energy.
Are You a Victim of the ‘Friendship Recession’? — Women’s Health by Claudia Canavan (2022-2023)
18-24 year olds are now more likely to have no close friends than those aged 75+. The UK data mirrors the American trends.
Are We Witnessing a Friendship Recession? — ShoutOut UK by Amelia Brady (May 2023)
People with stronger social relationships have 50% lower mortality risk. The friendship pool is running dry.
Nikhil Kamath Is Worried About Friendship Recession — Money Control (May 2023)
The Zerodha billionaire says he has five friends he’d “do all for” and worries about the world facing a friendship recession.
Connection and Isolation in the Digital Age — eNotAlone by Matthew Frank (April 2023)
Technology replaced face-to-face interactions. Far from being social, digital communication has added more distance between us.
How Content Reflects the Friendship Recession — Creativepool by Valentina Culatti (Dec 2023)
We’re more connected than ever through screens. Yet people of all ages say they’re lonelier than ever.
The Friendship Recession — Daily Mirror by Ruqaiyah Rafeek (July 2024)
The term entered use in 2021 when researchers noticed declining social circles. The trend spans countries and age groups.
Are We in a ‘Friendship Recession’? — StyleBlueprint by Alissa Harb (March 2023)
With unlimited access to people at our fingertips, we might think connection is easy. Surveys show otherwise.
Know about a great article I’m missing? Or want to share your own friendship recession story? Email me. I read every message.