Ideas

Are They Still Your Friends if You Never See Them?

The friendship crisis of American men

First published in The Atlantic on March 19, 2026.

by Andrew McCarthy, The Atlantic

March 26, 2026 | reading time: 10 Min.

The dog was asleep in the corner, and I was seated at the kitchen table, drinking a cup of weak tea. My 21-year-old son sat cross-legged on the floor, messing with his guitar, telling me a funny story about a dating disaster involving one of his good friends.