Unsplash/Ben White
More Americans now have fewer close friends compared to three decades ago, but men have faced the brunt of that social shift, with five times as many now reporting they have no close friends at all, a recent study by the Survey Center on American Life shows.
The study, conducted between May 14-23, involved interviews with a random national sample of 2,019 adults living in the U.S., and shows that only 59% of Americans, in general, report having a best friend today compared to 77% in 1990. And while 30 years ago 55% of men said they have at least six close friends, just 27% of men now report the same. Some 15% now say they have no close friends at all compared to 3% in 1990.