When Students Refuse to Be Friends, Our Republic Is at Risk

America is in the midst of a “friendship recession.” Rates of close friendship have plummeted over the past two decades, and loneliness has grown so severe that the U.S. Surgeon General recently called it a public health epidemic. Among young men, the numbers are particularly stark: A quarter of those younger than 30 say they have no close friends. These aren’t just personal struggles. They have deep civic consequences.

Colleges should be the antidote to this social crisis. Friendships teach empathy, build trust, and help people navigate differences. They are the foundation of a free and self-governing society. At college, young adults from different backgrounds come together to live, study, and grow. These years ought to foster bonds that bridge divides and prepare students to lead in this current political moment.

SJ

About the Author

Samuel J. Abrams

Samuel J. Abrams is a professor of politics at Sarah Lawrence College and a nonresident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. Abrams is currently on the Board of Directors of FIRE.

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America is in the midst of a “friendship recession.” Rates of close friendship have plummeted over the past two decades, and loneliness has grown so severe that the U.S. Surgeon General recently called it a public health epidemic. Among young men, the numbers are particularly stark: A quarter of those younger than 30 say they have no close friends. These aren’t just personal struggles. They have deep civic consequences.

Colleges should be the antidote to this social crisis. Friendships teach empathy, build trust, and help people navigate differences. They are the foundation of a free and self-governing society. At college, young adults from different backgrounds come together to live, study, and grow. These years ought to foster bonds that bridge divides and prepare students to lead in this current political moment.

SJ

About the Author

Samuel J. Abrams

Samuel J. Abrams is a professor of politics at Sarah Lawrence College and a nonresident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. Abrams is currently on the Board of Directors of FIRE.