Disturbing reason why six in 10 young men are single

New data has revealed that six out of 10 young men are single – and there’s a disturbing reason why.

New data has revealed that six out of 10 young men are single – and there’s a disturbing reason why.

As reported by the New York Post, the Pew Research Centre data has found that nowadays, 63 per cent of men under 30 are electively single – up from 51 per cent in 2019 – and experts blame erotic alone time online as a major culprit.

“[Young men] are watching a lot of social media, they’re watching a lot of porn, and I think they’re getting a lot of their needs met without having to go out,” psychologist Fred Rabinowitz told The Hill.

“I think that’s starting to be a habit.”

The new, post-Covid numbers would surely back up previous research that the pandemic has made men prefer an evening alone instead of actually meeting a partner.

Pew Research Centre data has found that nowadays, 63 per cent of men under 30 are electively single – up from 51 per cent in 2019. Picture: Pew Research Centre

Just half of single men as a whole responded that they are “looking for a committed relationship and/or casual dates”, a decrease compared to 61 per cent four years ago.

But these statistics tell a sadder truth about this generation of men, NYU psych professor Niobe Way told the outlet.

“We’re in a crisis of connection,” Professor Way said. “Disconnection from ourselves and disconnection from each other. And it’s getting worse.”

The male numbers come sharply juxtaposed to the 34 per cent of women under 30 who now say they’re single – which has seen only a slight pandemic rise in that age group.

‘[Young men] are watching a lot of social media, they’re watching a lot of porn, and I think they’re getting a lot of their needs met without having to go out.’ Picture: iStock

Another factor at play might be the interests of women changing – especially as suitors of the same age are becoming apparently less desirable, experts said.

“[Women would] rather go to brunch with friends than have a horrible date,” LA couples and family psychologist Greg Matos said.

The expectations of American men are also rising in the minds of women, according to masculinity expert and University of Akron Professor Ronald Levant, who added that “unfortunately, so many men don’t have more to give”.

The male numbers are sharply juxtaposed to the 34 per cent of women under 30 who now say they’re single. Picture: Pew Research Centre

But perhaps the largest issue now with young men – one highly impacting their social abilities – is that they are, as a whole, more lonely people than women, a recent study showed.

In the early 1990s, 55 per cent of men were reported to have six or more close friends. That percentage dwindled down to 27 in 2021, according to the American Perspectives Survey. Now, 15 per cent of men say they have no close personal friendships, data compiled by the Survey Centre on American Life found.

“Women form friendships with each other that are emotionally intimate, whereas men do not,” said Professor Levant.

Even while not dating, “[women] have girlfriends they spend time with and gain emotional support from”.

This article originally appeared on the New York Post and was reproduced with permission