Is 'The Male Loneliness Epidemic' Real?

The conversation around men feeling lonely has become a lightning rod for social, political and cultural weigh-ins by everyone - but how do guys actually feel about their loneliness? We asked you to cut through the noise to give your honest experiences of loneliness and male friendship, and we investigate the research to find out if this can even be called an ‘epidemic’. 

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SHOW NOTES:

The State Of Loneliness 2023 data

https://www.campaigntoendloneliness.org/press-release/half-a-million-more-people-are-lonely-all-or-most-of-the-time/

Social Isolation And Loneliness in Australia

https://www.aihw.gov.au/mental-health/topic-areas/health-wellbeing/social-isolation-and-loneliness

‘An uphill battle’: why are men struggling to make – and keep – friends?

https://www.theguardian.com/wellness/ng-interactive/2025/jul/10/male-friendships-midlife#:~:text=According%20to%20data%20from%20the%20Survey%20Center,in%202021%2C%20compared%20with%203%25%20in%201990.

Male loneliness and isolation: What the data shows

https://aibm.org/research/male-loneliness-and-isolation-what-the-data-shows/

The surprising truth about loneliness in America

https://www.vox.com/even-better/366620/loneliness-epidemic-coping-demographics-america-social-connection-mental-health

Side talk: Half of men feel more comfortable having difficult conversations shoulder-to-shoulder

https://www.greeneking.co.uk/newsroom/shoulder-to-shoulder?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Is Male Loneliness an Epidemic? A Gendered and Structural Reframing

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/67e9bb2b8ad1d04967a0459c/t/68abcf2e684fb76f348bc0c0/1756090158503/Is+male+loneliness+an+epidemic.pdf

The men's loneliness epidemic might not exist

https://www.npr.org/2025/02/17/1263527043/its-been-a-minute-male-loneliness-epidemic-real

Vulga Drawings instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/DFVr4eXopWw/?img_index=1

Females were more likely to have mental health conditions

https://www.americashealthrankings.org/learn/reports/mental-and-behavioral-health-data-brief/key-findings-gender?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Theorizing Mankeeping: The Male Friendship Recession and Women’s Associated Labor as a Structural Component of Gender Inequality

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/385006823_Theorizing_Mankeeping_The_Male_Friendship_Recession_and_Women's_Associated_Labor_as_a_Structural_Component_of_Gender_Inequality

Men value romantic relationships more and suffer greater consequences from breakups than women

https://www.psypost.org/men-value-romantic-relationships-more-and-suffer-greater-consequences-from-breakups-than-women/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

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The Hook Up is an ABC podcast, produced by triple j. It is recorded on the lands of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin nation. We pay our respects to elders past and present. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the land where we live, work, and learn.