A disturbing new trend has emerged across developed nations: young adults are experiencing unprecedented difficulty forming and maintaining friendships. The Global Friendship Survey—covering 15,000 adults aged 18-35 in 12 countries—reveals that 43% feel they have fewer friends than their parents did at their age, while 61% report finding it harder to make new friends compared to five years ago. This “friendship recession” carries serious consequences, correlating with higher rates of depression, weaker career networks, and decreased civic engagement.
The causes form a perfect storm of modern malaises: the pandemic’s lingering social atrophy, work-from-home culture eliminating organic workplace friendships, and algorithm-driven digital spaces that prioritize viral content over meaningful connection.
Even traditionally friendship-rich environments like universities have changed—where 1980s students spent 4 hours daily socializing, today’s average is just 47 minutes, replaced by solo screen time. Economic pressures exacerbate the issue; 58% of young adults cite “friendship poverty” because they can’t afford social outings in high-cost cities.
Cultural shifts in friendship expectations also play a role. Where previous generations valued proximity and shared experiences, today’s young adults seek “alignment friendships”—connections with near-identical values, lifestyles, and political views. This impossibly high standard, amplified by social media’s highlight reels, leaves many opting out altogether. Some sociologists argue we’ve medicalized normal friendship friction—what was once “my friend sometimes annoys me” now becomes “this friendship is toxic.”
Innovative solutions are emerging. “Friendship matching” services using professional matchmakers are growing 300% annually. Some companies are instituting “friend-finding” benefits alongside healthcare. Most promising are new urban designs creating low-pressure social spaces, like Seoul’s community living rooms and Melbourne’s “conversation parks.” As friendship researcher Dr. Luis Mendez notes, “We fixed the dating market. Now we need to fix the friend market.”
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