Your phone may be full of friends' names and still leave you wondering when you last saw one of them. Many people sense that friendship has shifted towards screens, and a recent American survey gives that feeling some support. It also found that almost everyone still values friendship, and it cannot show that texting is what has thinned friendships out.
The report, titled "Friendship Still Matters, Even as the Way We Connect Keeps Changing", comes from AARP Research, the research arm of the American organisation for older adults. It was published in March 2026 and updated in June 2026. The survey behind it was run online with 1,488 adults aged 18 and over across the United States between 23 October and 10 November 2025. Responses were weighted by generation so that the results reflect the American adult population.
The researchers also held 45-minute online interviews with pairs of close friends, including friends of similar ages and friends from different generations. The report page does not say how many pairs were interviewed or how they were chosen.
Most of the survey asked people to describe their own habits and views. Where the report compares with earlier periods, it uses 2019 for the question about how essential friendship is and an earlier five-year point for the number of close friends. The page does not explain whether the earlier surveys used identical methods.
People reported having fewer close friends than they did five years ago, and said they see friends less often in person. At the same time they reported relying more on texting and social platforms to stay in touch. The page does not give exact numbers for how many close friends people have or how often they meet, so this article does not state any.
On the importance of friendship, the picture was the opposite. In 2025, 95 per cent of adults said friends are essential to a happy and healthy life, up from 90 per cent in 2019.
On technology, the findings were mixed. Most people said technology makes it easier to stay in touch. Yet many also felt that texting can stand in for real conversation and can make friendships feel less genuine.
Other points from the report: 54 per cent had a friend at least 15 years older or younger than themselves, often met through shared hobbies, other friends or work. Nearly nine in ten adults said they were open to making new friends, and nearly half said making friends gets harder with age, pointing to limited time and fewer chances to meet people. Younger adults reported significantly more isolation and lack of companionship than older generations.
This is self-reported survey evidence from the United States, collected at one point in time. It describes what people say about their lives. It does not show that digital messaging causes isolation, or that people who text more have fewer friends, and the report does not claim it does. People who are already short of time or social opportunities may lean on their phones more, rather than the other way round.
The page does not give margins of error, and some wording, such as "nearly half" and "significantly more", is not accompanied by exact values on the page. The comparisons with 2019 and with five years ago depend on how those earlier surveys were done. Experiences in Australia could differ, because the survey did not include Australian adults.
There is also a reminder in the findings that two things can be true together. Friendship is valued more, and friendships may be harder to keep up. That gap between valuing something and having the time and setting to practise it is a familiar one, and it does not point to a personal failing.
For readers, the report's themes are ordinary ones: friendships that cross age groups, regular in-person moments, and being open to new people. The survey does not test whether any of these makes people less lonely. If loneliness is weighing on you, talking to your GP or another qualified professional is a reasonable step, and in Australia Lifeline is available on 13 11 14.
Source: Friendship Still Matters, Even as the Way We Connect Keeps Changing (AARP Research) DOI: 10.26419/res.01004.001
Illustration of the distinction between digital contact and feeling connected. AI-generated editorial illustration. This article summarises published research in our own words and is general information, not personal health advice.
Please Login or Sign up to be able to comment