Alone in the Friend Zone

“I am not alone. (Except, I guess, literally.) Americans have become terrible at making and keeping friends. Here’s an incomplete list of phenomena that experts in the subject have blamed for this: apartments without dining rooms, Covid-19, ‘technology,’ babies, not enough hiking. Whatever the cause, we’re a nation afflicted. This is particularly true for men. (If you cannot name even a single close friend, you’re not the only one: 20 percent of single men are stuck in the same position, trapped in what is being dubbed a ‘friendship recession.’)” Kelly Stout in Esquire: I Gave Myself a Month to Make One New Friend. How Hard Could That Be? “Americans have become terrible at forming and keeping friendships. But there must be somebody out there who wants to grab a burrito with me.” (Kelly, I’ll join you. But between doctor’s orders and nagging glucose monitor alarms, I’m trying to cut back on tortillas, rice, sour cream, and cheese, so can we just grab a plate of pinto beans?)