Isolation epidemic? Survey finds one in five lonely on a Friday night

BURY ST EDMUNDS, England — Everyone experiences the occasional lost weekend when no plans come together and we find ourselves sitting at home in lieu of a fun night on the town. However, a new survey of 2,000 British adults finds that many people are dealing with social isolation regularly. In all, one in five respondents say they’re typically lonely on a Friday night, and nearly two thirds say they sometimes feel lonely over the weekend.

Another 39% of the survey’s respondents say they often find themselves wishing someone, anyone, would ask them to go out for a night on the town sometime. According to the survey, commissioned by brewing company Greene King, nearly half of adult Brits (48%) believe it is increasingly difficult to find weekend plans as they grow older.

Other common reasons for not going out cited by respondents included being too tired (33%), having too much work (30%), or just finding it too hard to line up friends’ schedules for a good time to meet (39%).

“Our research shows that loneliness can impact not just one age, gender or life circumstance, but a wide range of people all over the UK,” comments Greene King CEO Nick Mackenzie in a statement. “And it’s surprising to see just how many adults wished they could spend more time socializing and interacting with peers.”

The survey also found that the average British adult stops going out and frequenting bars regularly around the age of 32. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that they all wanted to stop; four in 10 respondents say they don’t spend any time at all anymore at their local bar, but would spend an average of three and a half hours each week at the pub if they could.

Amazingly, 15% of the survey’s respondents even say they would pay for someone’s drinks all night just so they could have some company. Now, that’s a good friend.

When asked what the best part about going out for a drink with a friend is, 40% of respondents said that they look forward to hearing about new events in friends’ lives, while 20% take pride in being able to help a friend in need on a night out. Another 25% said they enjoy venting about their own lives and problems while at the bar, and 10% relish the opportunity to blow off some steam about their spouse or partner.

For what it’s worth, 20% of respondents say they’re comfortable visiting their local pub alone, and 25% believe their town’s hottest bar is the centerpiece of their community.

The survey was conducted by OnePoll.

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