Good morning. There are new ways to make (and keep) friends, even as a grown-up – more on that below, along with Thailand’s landmark marriage bill and the world’s most valuable company. But first:
Today’s headlines
- RCMP has more than six active investigations into federal contracting
- The victim in a Toronto shooting was accused for decades of mortgage fraud
- Edmonton Oilers still alive in fight for Stanley Cup, forcing Game 6
Good pals in cozy knits.Supplied
Relationships
Making friends in the digital age
Dating apps? Terrible. Absolutely no one wants to be on ‘em. Swiping for friendship, on the other hand – that’s a more appealing idea, especially for grown-ups looking for a couple new pals. As The Globe’s Zosia Bielski found, there’s now an abundance of apps to connect like-minded buddies, whether you’re sporty (ATLETO) or extroverted (LMK) or peripatetic (Skout) or perimenopausal (Peanut).
Meanwhile, the dip in paying subscribers is pushing dating apps to give friendship a whirl. Bumble BFF rebranded as Bumble for Friends and Hinge just launched One More Hour, which aims to bring Gen Zs together in person. Hinge has positioned its initiative as a public good: It offers $25,000 in grants to community groups, and published a physical book on how to put down your phone (though that book looks like a phone, for some reason). But Hinge is right that Gen Z struggles with loneliness – and in that respect, they’re hardly alone.
Hyper-connected but pretty lonely
Even before the pandemic kept so many of us inside our homes and behind our screens, Canada had its share of lonely folks. In 2019, nearly a quarter of Canadians said they experienced loneliness and social isolation. That number climbed to 35 per cent by 2021, and this year, almost half of Canadians said they felt lonely at least some of the time.
So where did our friends go? You can blame the usual suspects: We get older and redirect our time to partners, kids, work stress, roof woes – it’s why science writer Lydia Denworth has said our 30s is “the decade where friendship goes to die.” And you can blame more recent phenomena: The decline of “third spaces” gives us fewer places to hang out; the rise of the gig economy lets you hire a guy to build your Ikea bookshelf. Or you can blame parents (though I’d personally never): While more seniors are living longer, they need care and attention as they age in place.
The friendship formula
There’s no magic, agreed-upon number when it comes to how many friends you need. One study found that middle-aged women do best with at least three; another linked better health outcomes for everyone to six or more folks. Researchers tend to emphasize that going from zero to one person gives you the most bang for your friendship buck, while evolutionary psychologist Robin Dunbar argues you can only maintain about five close friendships anyway.
And maintaining friendships is kinda the point, but it does require putting in the time. It means connecting with someone on an app and then actually meeting up for coffee. Or texting your high-school pal with more than Taylor Swift gossip and vague promises of a dinner next month. (Sorry, Trish!) Or it means – and this is the really scary one – bribing a buddy to your place with pizza, then assembling the dreaded Ikea bookcase yourselves.
The Shot
‘They turn the seabed into a desert.’
Anchored offshore the Kerkennah archipelago.Yassine Gaidi/The Globe and Mail
A centuries-old, ecologically gentle and United Nations-recognized way of fishing is being wiped out by illegal bottom trawlers. Read more about the threat to Tunisia’s charfia here.
The Wrap
What else we’re following
At home: Human rights activists have told the foreign interference inquiry they have “serious concerns” about two Canadian senators for “close ties” to the Chinese government.
Abroad: Countries around the world are badly unprepared for the next pandemic – and it’s a dangerous gamble with our future, a new global report warns.
AI: Days after it overtook Apple, AI chipmaker Nvidia has dethroned Microsoft as the world’s most valuable company.
I do: Thailand’s Senate overwhelmingly voted to legalize same-sex marriages, making it the first country in Southeast Asia to recognize marriage equality.