Most Gen Z men turn to friends first in hard times, Hinge survey finds

Most young men in the United States and Britain say they turn to their friends first when life gets hard, and a clear majority say being willing to show vulnerability is essential to a real friendship, according to a survey of Gen Z adults released this month by the dating app Hinge. The findings, published in early October 2026 under the title "How We Friend" as part of the company's One More Hour initiative, are based on responses from more than 4,700 Gen Z adults in the US and the UK collected in September. They push back against the popular idea that young men lack emotional closeness, while showing that anxiety and busy schedules make new friendships hard to form.

Conversations about young men's mental health often start from the claim that men do not talk about their feelings. These numbers suggest a more hopeful picture: many young men already value openness in their friendships and lean on friends in hard times. The bigger problem may not be emotional distance inside friendships, but how difficult it is to build them in the first place. When two-thirds of young men cite social anxiety as a barrier, and almost as many say they do not know where to meet people, loneliness becomes a practical problem of opportunity, not only of attitude.

That matters for young Indians too. Many leave home for college or work in a new city, live alone or in shared flats, and spend long hours on screens and commutes. Friendship then has to be built deliberately. The barriers named in this survey, anxiety, not knowing where to start and lack of time, will be familiar to any young professional in Bengaluru, Pune or Gurugram trying to find their people after moving.

There are simple, practical lessons. Regular, low-pressure settings such as a weekly sports game, a running group, a class or a volunteer group make it easier to meet the same people again and again, which is how acquaintances turn into friends. Being the one who suggests a plan, and treating time with friends as something to schedule rather than squeeze in, can counter the time barrier. And the finding that young men prize listening without judgement is a reminder of what makes people feel safe enough to open up.

A note of caution: this is a survey commissioned by a dating company, it covers only the US and UK, and its full methodology has not been released, so it should be read as a useful snapshot rather than definitive research.

Short-term: The survey adds to the public discussion of male loneliness and gives young people a prompt to invest in friendships deliberately.

Long-term: If the barriers are mainly practical, communities, colleges and workplaces can help by creating regular, low-pressure spaces where young people meet repeatedly.

Who is affected: Young adults, especially young men who have moved for study or work, along with colleges, employers and community groups trying to reduce loneliness.

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