Americans Are Having Big Trouble Making Friends … But There’s Hope

Not too many years ago, prime-time TV was filled with shows depicting groups of friends who celebrated each others’ victories, offered support during trying times, and generally just enjoyed spending time together.

And while real life is never as idyllic as a Hollywood script, most people in decades past could at least relate to the important role that their friends played in their lives. But that is rapidly becoming a thing of the past for many Americans.

Identifying the problem

According to a study conducted last year, the average number of friends for young adults has been sharply declining over the past couple of decades.

• Fewer than one-third of Americans under 30 said they had 5 more more close friends
• 8% of respondents said they had no close friends, which was up from 2% in 2003.
• 20 years ago, 18- to 29-year-olds had nearly 9 friends on average.

So what’s causing this rapid deterioration of friendships? As with most cultural shifts, there are a number of factors. We’re spending more of our time online, there was a big social interruption during the pandemic, and remote work is removing some of the places we used to make those connections.

No matter the cause, many in Gen Z aren’t satisfied with the status quo … and they’re doing something about it.

Creating the solution

Since most of their peers are on social media anyway, there’s a new trend of “in real life” (IRL) meet-ups between folks who seem to have similar interests. And it’s starting to spark some real friendships among people who might have otherwise gone their whole lives without meeting.

Just like dating apps have redefined what it means to look for a romantic partner, it seems that social media is likewise changing the friend-making process.

Chris Agee February 2nd, 2024

Share this story: