Key Takeways
Group chats, FaceTime, and followers in the thousands… There’s no generation as connected as Gen Z. Yet, they’re considered to be the loneliest generation in history.
Is it too much screen time, too little cash, or social communication skills stunted by the lockdowns? Or are they just as lonely as the rest of us?
EduBirdie surveyed 2,000 Gen Zers to find out just how strong Gen Z’s bonds are, and the icks and blockers that hold their friendships back.
For most Gen Zers, loneliness doesn’t stem from a small circle – 43% have a best friend, and another 37% have multiple.
But for every tight friend group, there are many on the outside looking in. Some 20% admit they have no real friends to lean on, with 9% depending entirely on their partner for connection, and 3% having no meaningful relationships at all.
It’s not a total lack of social ability or reluctance to connect, either, because Gen Zers are actively forming new bonds, with 26% having asked someone to be their bestie and 10% having been asked themselves.
The older we get, the harder it gets to form connections and friendships.
Work (31%) introduces young people to new faces, and 34% have found people they get on with through social media. Yet, the vast majority – 68% – of Gen Z friendships were formed during childhood.
Gen Zers may be lonely, but they’re far from desperate. Some 47% would never be friends with an ex, and 45% wouldn’t get close to their partner’s haters.
And while social media offers a way to connect, 27% wouldn’t consider an online mutual a real friend until they’ve met IRL.
Likewise, 25% won’t click with someone if their political views clash, 19% reject those who are younger, and 10% pass on people who are poorer than them.
Rent is high, wages are low, and you need a mortgage to fill your gas tank. With the cost of living cooked, 12% admit friendship is costly, and 6% say there’s absolutely zero left in the budget for socializing.
However, in good company, you don’t have to spend big to have a good time, with 42% insisting it costs nothing to hang out.
There’s no I got you’s among Gen Z friends – with 37% admitting they Venmo their homies for less than $5 at least occasionally, while 11% always collect on their debts, no matter how small.
But the cost of connection isn’t always measured in dollars. Some 44% see friendships as at least partly transactional – costing them in time, energy, and emotional labor.
It’s all love on the group chat… but internally? Friendship is a whole leaderboard for 25% of Gen Zers.
Some 18% secretly compete against their friends when it comes to money and success, while 8% keep score on love and romance, and 8% treat appearance as a contest.
That competitive streak makes it difficult for 28% of Gen Zers to celebrate their friends’ successes. However, the real challenge is being there emotionally during the lows, with 72% admitting the hardest part of friendship is providing a shoulder to cry on.
When it comes to dating, besties offer the perfect backup plan, with 11% of Gen Zers planning to marry their closest friend if they can’t find a partner by a certain age, and another 19% planning to move in together.
When you share all your secrets, laugh at things nobody else finds funny, and chat late into the night, attraction naturally develops.
Catching feelings is a huge Gen Z friendship problem, with 35% having secretly crushed on a friend. However, only 11% acted on it, while 19% friendzoned themselves instead – keeping their feelings secret to protect what they already have.
They won’t make the first move, but if their friend crush hints at something more? Some 10% of Gen Zers would end things with their partner without question, and 18% would give it serious thought.
Forget Valentine’s Day. For many Gen Zers, friendiversaries are the most important date in the calendar, with 19% celebrating the day they met their bestie each year.
Love or loyalty? When push comes to shove, Gen Zers put their squad first, with 56% of Gen Zers admitting they would rather lose their romantic partner than their best friend.
After all, who needs a partner when you have a bestie who can co-sign on that mortgage with you? Some 17% of Gen Zers would commit to a major purchase, such as buying property, with their closest friend.
Likewise, 14% would willingly go into business with them – because if you’re going to build something stressful, there’s no better co-founder than someone who knows the worst side of you and sticks by regardless.
Gen Zers might wish their circle was bigger, but the friends they do have, they work hard to keep – 66% would lend their best friend serious money if they needed it, 88% would pick up the phone no matter what, and 56% would drop their own plans at a moment’s notice. In fact, 57% say they would do anything for their day one.
They’re extremely loyal, but there are limits – 73% wouldn’t lie in court, for instance, and 66% wouldn’t cover for a cheat.
Gen Z may get lonely from time to time, but most aren’t short of deep, meaningful connections. Perhaps they’re just as cash-strapped, stressed out, and lonely as everyone else… but a little better at admitting how they feel.
