22 percent of millennials say they have “no friends”

Vox ^ | August 1, 2019 | Brian Resnick

[rightwingintelligentsia]

Today, members of the millennial generation are ages 23 to 38. These ought to be prime years of careers taking off and starting families, before joints really begin to ache. Yet as a recent poll and some corresponding research indicate, there’s something missing for many in this generation: companionship.

A recent poll from YouGov, a polling firm and market research company, found that 30 percent of millennials say they feel lonely. This is the highest percentage of all the generations surveyed.

Furthermore, 22 percent of millennials in the poll said they had zero friends. Twenty-seven percent said they had “no close friends,” 30 percent said they have “no best friends,” and 25 percent said they have no acquaintances. (I wonder if the poll respondents have differing thoughts on what “acquaintance” means; I take it to mean “people you interact with now and then.”)

In comparison, just 16 percent of Gen Xers and 9 percent of baby boomers say they have no friends.

[PeterPrinciple]

define friends.

In life you are blessed to get one or two close friends. They are a gift. The rest are acquittances.

[ClearCase_guy]

People picked up a Facebook Network and forgot about having actual Friends or interacting with the actual Community in which they live.

To be totally Virtual is to be virtually non-existent.

[Mr. K]

I made the mistake of having a millennial come to my house last week to do landscaping work.

After showing up 4 hours late he told me I was “disrespecting him” by telling him what jobs to do first, and said “that’s not how it’s supposed to go”.

Apparently I was supposed to just let him do whatever he felt like, regardless of what I needed done first (the mulch) or why (to get the mulch out of my truck so I could use the truck for something else)

[wally_bert]

I’m 48 and I doubt I have any either.

Lots of people I’m on good terms with though. Friend would be a stretch.

[Major Matt Mason]

Gee, I can't imagine why this would be the case. /s

[aspasia]

The hound of heaven is faithful.

[C210N]

Even millennial canines are having the issue...

[Vigilanteman]

But I bet they number their “Facebook friends” in the hundreds or more . . .

[Buckeye McFrog]

After showing up 4 hours late he told me I was “disrespecting him” by telling him what jobs to do first, and said “that’s not how it’s supposed to go”.

Believe it or not those are actually the Federal Government rules for being an independent contractor.

[Zathras]

Get a job, move out of your parents basement.
Usually a good place to start.

[al_c]

Gee, I wonder why ... ?

[LRoggy]

Put down the f***ing phone and learn how to TALK to people face to face . . .

[gr8eman]

This means nothing. My middle aged brother has no friends...it’s because he’s admittedly an a$$hole!

[RayChuang88]

Interestingly, I do NOT look at my cellphone whenever I'm walking. I made the mistake once when I accidentally bumped into someone at work checking my cellphone's settings and I only stare at my cellphone sitting down or standing still.

[vette6387]

Maybe this will help:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IU_y9FB0QKk

[MrEdd]

There's a Throw Momma From The Train quote here that's struggling to get out.

[BillyBonebrake]

22% of millennials grew up glued to gaming consoles.

[Windflier]

This doesn’t surprise me at all. Look at how those kids were raised.

Sheltered, bubble wrapped, eyeballs glued to video games, sedentary and disconnected from the outside world by paranoid, fearful parents.

[dfwgator]

Lack of bonding experiences, especially facing adversity together, like when serving in the military.

There’s a lot to be said for being in a Fraternity/Sorority when in college, those are the kinds of things that create lifelong friendships.