Tag Archives: Friendship

29Mar/26

Navigating the Friendship Recession and the Cost of Connection

March 29, 2026Lifestyledopamine, Emotions, Friendship, Friendship recession, Hikikomori, Interpersonal relationships, Japan, Joe Previte, John Cacioppo, Johnny, Kindness, Laura L. Carstensen, Loneliness, oxytocin, Phoenix, Social connection, Social isolation, Social issues, Social media, Social networks, the urban institute, United States, Vivek Murthyadmin

The Decline of the “Third Place” and the Rise of Global Isolation

March 30, 2026 /Mpelembe Media/ — The Core Issue: The “Friendship Recession” Modern society is experiencing a severe decline in social capital and interpersonal connections, a phenomenon widely referred to as the “friendship recession”. Data shows a quantifiable collapse in the size of our social networks: in 1990, 33% of Americans reported having 10 or more close friends, but by 2021, that number had plummeted to just 13%. Meanwhile, the percentage of individuals reporting zero close friends has quadrupled. This erosion of social capital—the “glue” that holds communities together through networks, trust, and reciprocity—is undermining both civic engagement and personal well-being.

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20Jul/23

How having five friends boosts the adolescent brain – and educational performance<

July 20, 2023SocialAdolescence, Ann, Barbara Jacquelyn Sahakian, Christelle Langley, Chun Shen, Cognition, Cognitive development, Cognitive neuroscience, Cognitive psychology, Cognitive science, Creative Commons, Friendship, Generation Z, Jianfeng Feng, Puberty, SHUTTERSTOCK, Social cognition, Social psychology, United Kingdomadmin

Barbara Jacquelyn Sahakian, University of Cambridge; Christelle Langley, University of Cambridge; Chun Shen, Fudan University, and Jianfeng Feng, Fudan University

As most parents of teenagers are acutely aware, there comes a time when children start prioritising their friends over their parents. While young children rely on their parents for social interactions and influences, there’s a notable switch during adolescence, where the influence from peers and friends becomes more important.

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14Jun/23

I am a romantic fool

June 14, 2023Human InterestArticles, Emotions, Fool, Friendship, Human behavior, Human sexuality, Joke, Philosophy of love, Romance, The Fool, Virtueadmin

June 14, 2023 /Human Interest/ — The joke is that you are a romantic fool who is always getting yourself into trouble.

The word “fool” can have two meanings:

A person who is easily tricked or deceived.
A person who is innocent or naive.

In the context of the joke, you are the latter type of fool. You are a romantic fool who is always getting yourself into trouble because you are too trusting and naive.

You are always falling in love with the wrong people, and you are always getting your heart broken. But you never learn your lesson. You keep on being a romantic fool, even though you know that it will only lead to pain. Continue reading →

21Dec/22

Why do people feel lonely at Christmas? Here’s what the research says

December 21, 2022ReasearchAndrea Wigfield, Articles, Caregiving, Chronic condition, Creative Commons, Emotions, Friendship, Human behavior, Interpersonal relationships, John Ratcliffe, London, Loneliness, Philosophy of love, SHUTTERSTOCK, Social connection, Social isolation, United Kingdom, Young careradmin

Andrea Wigfield, Sheffield Hallam University and John Ratcliffe, Sheffield Hallam University

Christmas is said to be a time for connecting with friends, family and having fun. But it can also be time of loneliness. Indeed, the results of a 2018 survey looking at loneliness during Christmas time in the UK revealed that 17% of people felt more lonely over the festive period.

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