Post Reports How to make – and keep – friends
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Nov 15, 2025 Join journalist Billy Baker, author of "We Need to Hang Out," as he dives into the importance of adult friendships. He discusses the loneliness epidemic and shares his personal journey into male loneliness after a Globe assignment. Discover the concept of the 'Velvet Hook'—soft, regular connections that keep friendships alive. Billy provides practical tips, like prioritizing friendship as a daily task and using shared interests to form bonds. He even challenges listeners to reach out to someone they miss. Friendship can be cultivated, one courageous ask at a time!
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Going To A Friend-Making Event
- Maggie Penman attended a Real Roots event at a D.C. bar to meet a group of women aiming to make friends.
- She felt nervous and compared it to a first date, noting many adults find making new friends hard.
Loneliness Is A Public Health Issue
- Loneliness harms health and society has not prioritized friendship for adults.
- Billy Baker and Maggie Penman highlight that awareness rose further after COVID but problems predated the pandemic.
Assignment Sparked A Viral Story
- Billy Baker was assigned to write about middle-aged men lacking friends and realized he fit the story.
- His article went viral and became the start of his book project and public profile on male loneliness.
