Americans Aren’t Having as Many Guests Over Anymore

Whatever happened to having people over for dinner? In 1975, 42% of people said they would host friends or family at least once a month. Now it’s only 12%.

Here are some of the leading theories of why we’re hosting less now:

1. We’re too tired . . . and sometimes sitting on the couch is all we want to do.

2. Expectations are too high . . . because if it feels stressful, you’re more likely to cancel.

3. Hosting is expensive . . . everything costs more nowadays, so it makes sense people are looking at ways to scale back.

4. We have fewer friends . . . In 1990, 63% of Americans had five or more close friends. In 2021, that number fell to 38%.

5. Screens make staying home easy . . . Mindless streaming and scrolling require a lot less effort than organizing a get-together.

(The Atlantic)
Photo by Kelsey Chance on Unsplash