Have you noticed the younger generation having less friends?

[babyjay]

Im 44. Growing up had plenty of childhood and teen friends. No internet obviously, lots of play time outside. Biking around, basketball soccer etc in the 80s. Had the first nintendo at 12 i think, but still played outside. Talked on a landline phone. By my teens cruising the mall with groups of friends, going to the theatres, house parties and even just sitting around talking.

In my late 20s and early 30s. Noticed my younger cousins didnt have as many friends as i did. Even more pronounced with my nieces and newphews at this point. They all seem to be good boys and girls. Even the 18 year old males dont go out to clubs or anything. Or even drinking. Mostly gaming. Many of the parents are a bit worried. I was a hell raiser in my young adult hood, but able to talk to anyone even at a young age as we all did.

Have you noticed this with your kids, nephews/ nieces and younger generation? I mean i have not many friends now, but i went through the process and was able to weed them out and be at peace with it. And at this point, prefer it. Many of the youngins are starting off adulthood with zero to minimal friends. I actually worry about the social aspect of it as developing young people.

 

[pugilistico]

I think they have a lot of friends on instagram and tiktok.

 

[Oeshon]

More clout tho

 

[genecop]

Virtually ….Tons….seldom if ever do I see a gang of kids running around the streets looking for trouble like we did…maybe having them locked in their rooms is better…

 

[Contempt]

Who needs friends when you have followers... apparently

 

[Ogata]

No street gangs either.

This is a good thing, no pesky kids being loud and belligerent in public. They can stay in their rooms and do their thing with tech. Or join a sports club. Roaming around in the street like an asshole with a group of people with no life goal is a waste of time.

 

[Ares Black]

 

[El Chimpo]

Idk I'm 32 and got 3 real solid friends

2 live out of state so I see them once a year

Other one I see occasionally when his work schedule is open ...working the weekends tends to ruin your social life tho lol

 

[Fedorgasm]

Yeah buncha losers.

Except the black kids in my area. They still go outside for some reason. But Hispanics, whites, Asians, all stay inside.

 

[VinceArch]

I'm 32 and have 7 real close friends, 2 are cousins but I'd never trade them in.

 

[Plutoburn]

less friends and less sex because of social media and accessibility of internet porn

 

[Wrath of Foamy]

Go ask them why.

Could be an interesting result to share with us.

 

[Brandino]

Im 44. Growing up had plenty of childhood and teen friends. No internet obviously, lots of play time outside. Biking around, basketball soccer etc in the 80s. Had the first nintendo at 12 i think, but still played outside. Talked on a landline phone. By my teens cruising the mall with groups of friends, going to the theatres, house parties and even just sitting around talking.

In my late 20s and early 30s. Noticed my younger cousins didnt have as many friends as i did. Even more pronounced with my nieces and newphews at this point. They all seem to be good boys and girls. Even the 18 year old males dont go out to clubs or anything. Or even drinking. Mostly gaming. Many of the parents are a bit worried. I was a hell raiser in my young adult hood, but able to talk to anyone even at a young age as we all did.

Have you noticed this with your kids, nephews/ nieces and younger generation? I mean i have not many friends now, but i went through the process and was able to weed them out and be at peace with it. And at this point, prefer it. Many of the youngins are starting off adulthood with zero to minimal friends. I actually worry about the social aspect of it as developing young people.

As much as I would shake my fist at the younger whipper snappers... I think a lot of people in society these days are far to lazy when it comes putting in an effort to hosting people or arranging a gathering. I've notice a massive drop off in peoples willingness to throw parties or take initiative in putting on a basic get together with friends.

I've seen both with my long time friends and newer friends and co workers that many people are willing to come out if you do all the work. Very few however are willing to reciprocate though and return the favour.

 

[Provocateur]

Well, I had a lot more friends as a kid than I do as an adult…

 

[Jesus X]

More clout tho

 

[KnightTemplar]

What are these, "friends" you Humans speak of?

 

[Halge]

No, not really. Seems about the same.

 

[Lights Out 101]

30 years old here. I had 3 close friends but one of them suddenly died in his fucking sleep earlier this year at the age of 29, so now I'm down to two.

The other friend is hermit who doesn't leave his mother's place. No job or any source of income either, he just gets high and plays videogames all day and the more I see him the more I realise I'm not about that life. It actually makes me angry how he's wasting his life away and refuses to socialise outside of people going to his house to get high. I've know him for 17 years.

The other one has his shit together but works nights mostly, so it's hard to ever do anything with him.

I have acquaintances here and there, but I wouldn't classify them as solid pals that I see on the regular, except for one who watches UFC events at my house every now and then.

I guess I'm more in the family orientated lifestyle now that I have kids and a fiance, but yeah I had way more friends in highschool and it's kind of lame I don't have that same solid network of close friends anymore.

 

[5crew]

Some teenagers now were born into a world where they started using smartphone when they are toddlers. My 2 years old nieces was playing game on a tablet when my cousin came over for a visit. The ease of communicating online make it less "necessary" irl after school and work.

Gone were the days where kids go play soccer, basketball or hangout in the mall waiting for the movie to start after school. Heck, even the "nerdy" kids goes to library, book stores and hang out in fast food restaurants studying back when we were kids.

Now kids goes home, play online game, stream movies. Even the "nerdy" kids read and study on their tablets at home. There are definitely kids that still party, but the ease and comfort of technology definitely make the numbers lower.

And if they skip out the childhood gathering portion of their life, they will end up with even lesser close friends when they reach adulthood like us.

EDIT:
The over reaction of Covid the past 2 years have honestly fucked up the kids imo. Imagine beginning a new school, from primary school to secondary school at the start of 2020. That's Second grade to high school for you guys. You come to a new school, you meet new classmates but you can't see their faces for the next 2 years. You can't gather around for fun after school due to social distancing. They basically made 30 new classmates and no friends at this age. Imagine what this would do when they are 20yrs old.

 

[fingercuffs]

Wonder if I'd stayed in one country and my dad not being in the army moving us around from pillar to post...