We must regain our friendships and recognize and oppose the lies
We must now work to rebuild our friendships.
The COVID separations, declining religious involvement, lower marriage rates, and changes in the workplace have caused us to see our friends less.
After a prolonged period of social isolation, Americans are dusting off their social calendars. But as Americans try to rebuild and reconnect, a new survey conducted by the Survey Center on American Life finds that the social landscape is far less favorable than it once was.
The number of close friends Americans have has plummeted.
This friendship recession is particularly bad for men. The percentage of men with at least six close friends fell by half since 1990, from 55 percent to 27 percent. The study also found the percentage of men without any close friends jumped from 3 percent to 15 percent, a fivefold increase.
Single men fare the worst. One in five American men who are unmarried and not in a romantic relationship report not having any close friends.
Active close friendships assure us that the truths we’ve always known are still true.
Close personal friendships assure us the anti-truths promoted by some groups are not true.
Truth is still Truth
The FOUR TACTICS they’re using:
1: “Ghostlighting” is repeating untruth again and again and again and again.
2. “Astroturfing” is saying or implying that “everyone” agrees with an untruth when most of us know it’s wrong.
3.Accusing everyone who disagrees of racism, silencing our objections.
4. Separating us, using exaggerated fears of COVID, to prevent us from being assured by each other of our long-held truths.
Perhaps it seems impossible that such simple and obvious tactics as these four to promote untruth could be successful– but they are very successful!
Millions of us Americans now both believe their untruths and can’t object for fear of being called racist.
When someone we’ve known well and trusted tells us something, we believe it, are assured and are confident in its truth far beyond most things seen on social platforms.
Social media doesn’t replace face-to-face conversation because we all see obviously false “facts” on social media.
Watch for ghostlighting and astroturfing on the media, identify them by name and recognize each time the untruth being promoted.
We must individually work and move to regain and resume our personal friendships. Many friendships are just one-to-one. But many also are based in our groups:
Religious activities.
Civic/community activities.
Volunteer work.
Work friendships.
Sports.
Men’s/women’s groups.
School work including adult education and
Parent attendance in children’s classrooms and
School Board Meetings.
Each of us—get back
into our friendships!
Info: shpr.fyi/resumefriends