Friendship is built over time, through ordinary moments – I teach lonely college students to notice them

A political science professor designed a freshman seminar called “Friendship & Society” after noticing students going entire semesters without learning classmates' names, amid a 2026 survey finding nearly 6 in 10 of over 40,000 college students reported feeling lonely.

Federal time-use data cited in the piece show in-person socializing among Americans fell from 38% to 30% of an average day between 2015 and 2025. The course combines readings on the biology and sociology of friendship with hands-on assignments like sharing meals, a “friendship safari” observing where conversations happen on campus, and a personal friendship memoir.

The professor argues friendship functions as an overlooked public health issue and a building block of community trust, and structures the class around helping students practice starting and sustaining connections they say they want but feel anxious about initiating.

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