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Welcome to this fascinating global debate, held simultaneously across cities and countries. Join thoughtful people from around the world for a structured conversation where disagreement is welcome and curiosity matters more than winning.
Reserve your place: https://ideas-exchange.info/en/online-debate/where-did-all-our-friends-go/
Many adults are surrounded by messages, colleagues and contacts yet lack the dependable friendships that make life feel shared. Mobility, long workdays, caregiving, expensive cities and the decline of informal “third places” can make friendship harder to begin and maintain. At the same time, friendship is often treated as less serious than romance, family or work.
Is the so-called friendship recession a personal failure, a cultural shift or a design problem in modern life? We will distinguish chosen solitude from unwanted loneliness and ask what individuals, communities, employers and cities owe one another.

## Key topics we will discuss

  1. Why making and keeping friends becomes harder in adulthood
  2. The status of friendship compared with romance, family and work
  3. Busy lives, migration and geographic mobility
  4. Social media, messaging and the difference between contact and closeness
  5. Third places: cafés, parks, clubs, libraries and community groups
  6. Gender, age and cultural expectations around friendship
  7. Chosen solitude versus unwanted loneliness
  8. Personal habits and structural solutions to social disconnection

You do not need to arrive with a fixed position. Bring experiences, questions and a willingness to listen. People of all ages, professions, countries and political viewpoints are welcome.

## Practical information

When? Tuesday, October 13, 2026
What time? 8:00 PM New York · 7:00 PM Chicago · 5:00 PM Los Angeles
How does it work? Online on Zoom · International groups · Maximum 9 participants per group
How much? US$6 contribution · First participation free on request · Full refund if it is not for you
Do I need to prepare? You do not have to prepare. The optional Food for Thought videos below offer contrasting perspectives and useful questions.
How do I connect? You will receive the Zoom link by email no later than 24 hours after payment.
Register now: https://ideas-exchange.info/en/online-debate/where-did-all-our-friends-go/

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