Most Americans don't seem to have much age diversity in their friendships. A 2023 study found that, for a group of young adults ages 21 to 30, more than 80 percent of the people in their social circles, not counting relatives, were born within five years of them. Even looking at a broader age range, nearly 63 percent of adults don't have any close friends who are at least 15 years older or younger than them, according to a 2019 AARP survey. Spending our time with such a narrow group of people can fuel age segregation and isolate us-a concerning prospect at a moment when almost a fifth of American adults say they feel lonely for much of the day.
Having fun with someone decades older or younger than you can take off the pressure to "act one's age," whatever that means. We should all make more friends of different generations.
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