If your social life lately feels like a tumbleweed rolling through a ghost town, you’re not imagining it — and you’re definitely not alone.
According to a new Stats Canada report (aka official proof you’re not just antisocial), Canadians are spending way less time with friends than they used to. The biggest culprits? Working-age adults who’ve apparently gone full Houdini on their social circles.
Back in the glorious, mullet-filled days of 1986, nearly 48% of Canadians saw friends on a typical day. By 2022? That number plummeted to 19.3%. That’s not just a dip — that’s a friendship faceplant.
And the group ghosting the hardest? People aged 25 to 64. You know, the ones knee-deep in jobs, bills, laundry mountains, and “I’m too tired” excuses.
Even when we do manage to squeeze in a hangout, it’s getting shorter. In 1986, the average hang lasted 5 hours — now it’s down to 3.8. Just enough time to complain about work, order Uber Eats, and then pretend you’ll “do this again soon.”
Even the teens aren’t safe. People aged 15 to 24 — the generation with unlimited energy and group chats with 84 unread messages — are also hanging with friends way less. Over 30 percentage points less, in fact. What happened, Gen Z? We thought you were the social ones!
The study also found that more Canadians are feeling “pressed for time” than ever before. In 2022, nearly 1 in 4 people said they’re constantly in a rush, up from just 15% in the ‘90s. (Who knew we’d miss the ‘90s for this reason?)
Between work, doomscrolling, and wondering if it’s normal to feel this exhausted all the time, friendships are falling through the cracks — like that unmatched sock in the dryer of life.If your calendar looks like a desert when it comes to friend dates, you’re not broken — you’re just… modern. But maybe go ahead and send that “Let’s catch up!” text. And this time? Actually pick a date.
Your group chat will thank you. Probably.
