Friendships in Singlehood

Abstract

Friendships are important to well-being and those who lack close friendships tend to report poorer mental and physical health outcomes. For single people, friendships are especially crucial for well-being. Yet, the literature on friendship dynamics in singlehood remains limited. This chapter synthesizes the emerging literature on friendships in singlehood, highlighting their importance for single people and how friendship dynamics among single people are unique. The chapter also examines how contemporary technology and social media shape single people’s friendship formation and maintenance and how friendships are particularly well aligned with society’s increasingly individualistic values. Finally, the chapter ends by considering the policy and structural implications of centering friendships, outlining how institutions might better reflect the realities of singlehood. Ultimately, this chapter underscores how friendships are not peripheral but constitute part of the central infrastructure that supports a thriving singlehood.