“Friendship Recession” & Mental Health
If you find it challenging to spend time with friends, meet new friends, and expand your social network, you’re not alone. In recent years, researchers have noted a decline in close personal relationships and meaningful social connections, a "friendship recession," potentially fueled by cultural and economic shifts that influence how we build and interact with our peer groups and communities. In this article, we’ll explore the causes of the friendship recession, its impact on mental and physical well-being, and strategies for rebuilding stronger social bonds in an increasingly disconnected world. If you’re experiencing loneliness or struggling to build or maintain connections with others, working with a therapist may be helpful.
What is the “friendship recession”?
The "friendship recession" generally refers to the declining number of close relationships individuals maintain. This friendship recession phenomenon can be seen across the world and has contributed to what researchers and public health authorities describe as a “loneliness epidemic” due to its widespread impact on mental health, well-being, and social cohesion.
The 2021 American Perspectives Survey reports that, in general, Americans now have fewer close friendships, communicate with their friends less frequently, and tend to be less likely to turn to friends for support than in the past. While the COVID-19 pandemic may be partly to blame for this trend, a number of sociological factors and cultural shifts may be contributing to the friendship recession or deficit.
Why social isolation is on the rise: Key factors behind the "friendship recession" trend
Cultural shifts, the built environment, economic pressures, workplace changes, social media, and digital communication may all play a role in the friendship recession.
Cultural shifts and "friendship recession"
Experts attribute much of the friendship recession to a number of cultural shifts that have taken place in the past few decades. For one, individuals now tend to marry later in life, which can delay the formation of social networks typically developed through partnerships. They are generally more geographically mobile as well, and this can make it more difficult to maintain long-term friendships.
A decline in religious involvement may also be a factor to consider. Whereas close-knit communities and friendships once developed around places of worship, the trend toward secularism appears to have caused these social networks to dwindle.
Research has also found that parents usually spend more time with their children than they typically did in the past, which could reduce the time available for nurturing adult friendships.
The built environment
The built environment—that is, the physical spaces in which we live, work, and interact—can have a profound impact on social well-being. Urban sprawl, car-dependent suburbs, and restrictive zoning laws can limit opportunities for social interaction and friendship, while denser, more human-friendly development may facilitate frequent social encounters and foster a greater sense of community.
For instance, consider the social opportunities in a single-family development versus an urban neighborhood. The urban neighborhood likely features “third spaces” where people can gather, such as parks and cafes. In a typical suburb, such opportunities for making friends are often limited. Individuals typically drive to social engagements and are less likely to experience spontaneous social interactions in daily life which lead to friendship.
Economic pressures
Workplace culture shifts
Work has historically been a source of camaraderie and friendship, with employee lounges, break rooms, and happy hours often serving as valuable opportunities for connection. However, shifts in workplace culture have begun to take a toll on work friendships. In her book Social Chemistry, Yale professor Marissa King notes that, in 2004, 30% of Americans reported having a close work friend, down from nearly half in 1985.
Social media and digital communication
Although technology and social media may have enabled us to connect with friends instantly and maintain long-distance relationships, some psychologists and sociologists have raised concerns about moving so much of our social lives online. In decades past, most social interactions with friends happened face-to-face, but the rise of social media and digital communication seems to have profoundly altered the social landscape and friendships.
Social media may both fuel and fight loneliness
In an increasingly online world, it may be worth examining the role of social media in friendship more closely. Social media can be a vital link to friends and loved ones, and it can connect us with supportive communities we may not encounter otherwise. However, excessive online immersion can become a substitute for more meaningful interactions and friendships, and it may negatively impact the quality and quantity of real-world social situations.
Mental and physical health effects of social isolation and "friendship recession"
Practical strategies for forging new friendships
While it may be more difficult to make new friends in the modern age, expanding your social network can be an important step toward improved health, quality of life, and building friendships. Here are some friendship tips to help.
Attend local events and gatherings
Use social platforms and local publications to find social happenings near you. Whether it’s a community fair, networking event, or neighborhood meetup, these events can help you connect with your community and meet potential friends.
Get involved in your community
Charities, political organizations, and neighborhood associations can be good ways to meet potential friends who share your values. Seeking out volunteer opportunities that align with causes about which you care can help you forge new friendships and enact meaningful change.
Pursue hobbies and passions
Get to know your neighbors
Reconnect with old friends
Reach out to old friends you’ve lost touch with through a message or phone call, expressing interest in catching up. Rekindling these friendships can provide comfort and familiarity, helping to reestablish meaningful connections.
Online mental health support for social isolation
If you’re struggling with loneliness and social isolation, it may be worth connecting with a mental health professional. A licensed therapist can help you set goals, improve social skills, and identify any underlying issues that may be affecting your ability to thrive in friendships. With BetterHelp, you can connect with a compassionate therapist specializing in your area of need for weekly virtual sessions.
Takeaway
Friendship recession: What is the meaning of a social recession? Does it affect people’s mental health?
There seems to be a gender gap in the current friendship recession. At least among Americans, men struggle more than women, on average, to secure enough friends. Survey centers have found that males report having fewer friends, feeling lonelier, talking to fewer people, and not receiving enough emotional support. A significant portion report having no close friends at all. Researchers, such as Richard Reeves, who study and talk about male friendships in American society note that this disconnection has tangible financial, health, and social consequences for every gender.
What is friendship anxiety or recession?
Friendship anxiety is a type of social anxiety in which someone becomes unhealthily focused on, preoccupied by or anxious about friendships. The degree of this anxiety can become extensive enough that someone cuts themselves off from friends completely. But it can also manifest in less drastic ways, such as frequently declining social events or failing to respond to friends for long periods of time out of nervousness.
Why are so many friendships ending?
People seem to agree that the Covid pandemic had created a lot of relationship strife for various individuals. Most people struggled in one way or another with the physical isolation that social distancing involved. Only being able to hold conversations over the phone, FaceTime, or text—with little to no time face to face—may have contributed to many Americans withdrawing from relationships. Stress and an increase in mental illness may also have made some people less able to engage in healthy social behaviors. People also simply had fewer opportunities to make and maintain friend groups, as classrooms, work spaces, and places of leisure shut down for weeks to months at a time.
Friendship recession: Is friendship recession real?
Yes, a friendship recession is a real phenomenon. It occurs when an atypical number of people lose a substantial portion of their social reach, much like an economic recession limits people’s financial reach. Another element of a friendship recession is the failure to make new friends. The pandemic, in this effect, may have had a disproportionate effect on kids in stages of development crucial to social functioning.
How does urban design contribute to friendship recession?
The design of people’s environments can affect their ability to meet new people, turn strangers into friends, and meet up with friends already made. In many Western countries, there seems to be less time spent in third spaces where people mingle for leisure, as well as fewer third places to use, than there were in past decades. The emphasis of individual transport via cars in American life is also a potential contributor to loneliness, as it minimizes physical contact between individuals and anonymizes others, which primes us to be more antagonistic.
Why is friendship anxiety suddenly everywhere?
Anxiety of this type has always existed. However, prolonged social distancing during the pandemic has contributed to increased social anxiety among several demographics. Compounding this may be a general emphasis of prioritizing family members above friends and social tensions related to ideological differences.
Why do friendships fade over time?
Friendships, like other relationships, ebb and flow, and the pace that’s healthy will depend on the individual friendship. Most often, friendships burn out because one or both individuals put in less effort than is needed for both people to feel committed or connected to one another. It’s a natural part of life, but it can still prove challenging to navigate.
Why do I struggle so much with friendships?
According to Pew Research Center, a little more than half of adults have one to four close friends, around 40% report having 5 or more friends, and almost 10 percent report having none.
You’ve probably seen these statistics in action at some point. Some people seem to be able to incorporate practically everyone they know into their social circle, from neighbors to classmates to work friends, bosses, even exes. But making friends doesn’t come so naturally to everyone. A few things that can contribute to this include:
- They have a mental health condition like social anxiety disorder or depression
- They aren’t confident or proficient in socializing with peers
- They have unrealistic expectations for what a friendship entails
- They are or feel ostracized by people around them
- They have a chronic health condition that limits their activities
How is social media affecting friendships?
The idea behind social media was to connect people, but it has in some ways achieved the opposite. Certain types and amounts of social media usage can contribute to individuals—in particular young people—starting or continuing to feel lonely.
While not inherently bad, social media can give us unrealistic social, physical, and emotional expectations for our relationships. Additionally, algorithms often play into our negativity bias, novelty bias, and natural reward systems to keep us engaged, often at the expense of the face-to-face connection we’re evolutionarily wired to need.
Why does loneliness contribute to physical health conditions?
Humans have deeply ingrained psychological and social needs. The detrimental effects of isolation can appear after only a few days and can be as severe as hallucinations or self-injury. But less extreme, persistent loneliness—the perception of feeling alone when we don’t want to be—creates prolonged stress that our bodies just aren’t equipped to manage. Research shows that prolonged elevations in stress hormones like cortisol, as well as the unhealthy behaviors we often engage in when stressed or unhappy, can increase the risk of heart disease, metabolic disease, obesity, and premature death.
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