Lever Time The Male Friendship Collapse (With Sam Graham-Felsen)
Aug 14, 2025
Sam Graham-Felsen, a journalist and novelist known for his work with Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign, tackles the pressing issue of male loneliness. He discusses the decline of deep male friendships and its impact on mental health and society. Exploring societal stigmas that inhibit intimacy, he examines how media shapes male interactions. Graham-Felsen also provides strategies for fostering deeper connections among men, emphasizing the urgent need to address this 'friendship recession' in today's world.
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Loneliness Is A Public-Health Emergency
- Loneliness is a public-health crisis with measurable physical and mental harms comparable to smoking and obesity risks.
- Men are particularly affected, showing steep declines in close friendships and higher suicide and overdose rates.
Podcasts Replace In-Person Friendship
- Men increasingly seek podcasts and online content as a substitute for in-person friendships.
- This parasocial consumption can draw men into manosphere media that spreads conservative ideology.
Many Friends, Little Contact
- Sam describes having many friends but rarely talking to them, sometimes only once a year.
- He recounts choosing Netflix at home over going out after putting his kids to bed.
