Male friendship has declined markedly in recent decades, with 15% of men reporting no close friends in 2021 versus 3% in 1990, and those reporting ten or more close friends falling from 33% to 13%. The decline is more pronounced among heterosexual men than gay men. Men are developing alternative social spaces outside traditional congregation and entertainment venues; queer male communities have historically built such third spaces. Social isolation and poor-quality relationships correlate with higher mortality and increased suicide ideation. Strengthening infrastructure for heterosexual male socialization is framed as a public-health necessity to mitigate loneliness and its dire consequences.
I'm unsure how this particular column got the job of public advocacy for male problems, but relax, guys I'm up for it. Think of it as the Mirror Universe version of when Tony Abbott appointed himself Minister for Women, except this time a feminist champions men's social health and, you know, actually likes you. This week, the male friendship recession is our subject of shared concern.
Data from the Survey Center on American Life revealed 15% of men said they didn't have close friends in 2021, compared with only 3% in 1990 while those reporting 10 or more close friends had decreased from 33% to 13% during the same period. Acknowledging that these figures were skewed by more male loneliness among heterosexual men than their gay brothers,
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