June 29, 2021
As Americans venture back abroad to reclaim their social lives, a new report reveals a profound shift in the nature of American friendships. One of the most important changes revealed in May’s American Perspectives Survey is the decline of close friendships. Over the past three decades, American friendship groups have shrunk and the number of Americans without close friends has soared.
But these changes have not affected Americans in the same way. Men appear to suffer a much steeper decline than women. Thirty years ago, the majority of men (55%) reported having at least six close friends of their girlfriends. Now that number has been cut in half. Currently, just over one in four men (27 percent) have six or more close friends with their girlfriends. Fifteen percent of men have no close friendships at all, a fivefold increase since 1990.
Women are also witnessing a decline in friendships, but to a less pronounced extent. In 1990, about 4 in 10 women (41%) said they had six or more close friends, compared to 24% today. Ten percent of women report having no close friends.
And while some may think having 10 close friends is unmanageable, the size of our social circle appears to be very important. Americans with only one close friend are no less lonely than those with none, but those with only a few are barely better off. For Americans with three or fewer close friends, loneliness and loneliness are fairly common experiences, with more than half saying they felt that way at least once in the past seven days. In contrast, only 1 in 3 Americans with 10 or more close friends report feeling lonely in the past seven days.
This trend is particularly concerning for young people. As we stated in our recent report, “Young people and single people are unique in that they rely on friends for emotional and personal support.” But today’s young people rely on friends more than they do on friends. dependent on parents. This is a significant change in social support. In 1990, nearly half (45 percent) of young people reported that they would first contact a friend when faced with a personal problem. Today, only 22 percent of young people rely on friends during difficult times. 36% say their first call is to their parents.
Unfortunately, this new study falls in line with a growing body of research. A large national survey of Americans’ social networks conducted last year found that Americans’ social circles are shrinking. Nearly 1 in 5 Americans report having no close social connections, a double-digit increase since 2013. Also, the situation for young men is worse than for the majority. More than one in four (28 percent) men under 30 report having no close social connections.1. A recent Associated Press poll found that 18 percent of Americans have only one person outside of their family they can turn to for help.
The American economy will recover as the pandemic recedes. Most businesses adapt, evolve, and ultimately thrive. The future of American social life looks even bleaker. Our social circles are getting smaller and our friendship groups are shrinking. Social recovery may take longer or may not occur at all.
1In this study, close social contact was defined as having talked to someone about something of personal importance within the past six months.