Mental Health

Three women and one man talking at a bar, illustrated.

Why Some Men Prefer the Friendship of Women 
Two men, one a Republican and one a Democrat, sitting at a coffee shop in an illustration. We spoke with two men, one a Trump voter and one a Biden voter, about how they became friends despite political differences.

One’s a Conservative, One’s a Liberal. Here’s Their Secret to Friendship.

The Latest

An illustration of two tennis players fist-bumping. We discuss why tennis friends are so great for your longevity.

The Mighty Fellowship of Tennis Partners

Advantage-everybody: Two men of different generations explain why court friends are forever

An illustration of one man handing a birthday gift to another. We take a look at the art of gift-giving among adult men, and how they can do better.

Why Don’t Men Give Each Other Birthday Gifts?

The simple art of gift-giving is lost between adult men. We can do better.

An illustration of two phones with hands extending from them. Can friendship apps really lead to true friends? Our writer tested two of them to find out.

Do Friendship Apps Work? One Man Swiped to Find Out.

Our correspondent created accounts on Bumble For Friends and Timeleft to see if real pals can be found through the types of platforms previously focused on dating

An illustration of three young men after a soccer match next to the words "I Love You." We discuss the difficulty straight men still have expressing their love for their male friends.

Three Words Straight Guys Still Can’t Say to Each Other

When a stranger confronted him about saying “I love you” to a friend, Joe Kanzangu was caught off guard. So he asked his friends: Are we the odd ones out?

The Sabai Sleeper Sofa against a background of blue sky and clouds.

The Sabai Sleeper Sofa Is a Power-Nap Powerhouse

The NYC-based furniture company makes a comfy, REM-ready couch

An illustration of a man lying on a couch, daydreaming about a podcaster. We look at how parasocial relationships with podcasters are impacting real friendships

What If Your Best Friends Are Podcasters You’ve Never Met?

There are pros and cons to one of the most common parasocial relationships

An illustration of a man spinning a wheel with six different types of masculinity, including alpha male, feminist and white knight.

Good Luck Deciphering the “Very Mixed Messages” of Masculinity

Should you be an alpha male or a feminist? Hyper-masculine or gender agnostic? Men’s relationships — with friends, family, society — are being upended by a cultural tug of war.

Male Friendship Equation

How to Overcome the Current "Epidemic of Loneliness"

American men are in the midst of a friendship crisis, so we're turning our attention to these all-important platonic relationships

An illustration of four guy friends in a bar. We talk to a man who in Cincinnati who made friends by creating a real-life "Cheers."

After Failing to Make Friends, He Created a Real-Life “Cheers”

Sports, wings and beer can actually lead to deep relationships, as Chez Chesak discovered when he moved to Cincinnati

The solar eclipse seen through the frame of eclipse glasses.

The Solar Eclipse in Sheep Meadow

One writer's notes on experiencing the phenomenon from Central Park

Two men engaging in side-by-side interactions. Have you every noticed men prefer them over face-to-face hangouts?

We’re Men. Of Course We Don’t Look Each Other in the Eye.

Sitting at the bar, watching the game, driving up the fairway. What can we learn from the male preference for side-by-side interaction?

Two guy friends, one sitting playing guitar and the other on piano. Here's the friendship advice from my dad and his bandmate of nearly 50 years.

Friendship Advice From My Dad and His Best Pal of 50 Years

What's the secret to long-lasting friendship?

The hand of a Gen X man holding a domino and a Gen Z man holding a smartphone. We take a look at an intergenerational friendship and see how they bridge the widening generational gap.

Can Different Generations Truly Be Friends?

On social media, age groups have been condensed into antagonistic memes. Here’s how one Gen Zer and Gen Xer are bridging a widening generation gap.

An illustration of two men who used to be friends, facing apart. Today we look at how to recover and repair a lost friendship.

How to Recover a Friendship You Lost

Trust, intimacy and olive branches are all crucial, according to relationship experts. So is recognizing that your pickleball partner may not be on the same level as your college roommate.

An illustration of a group of men. We look at the state of male friendships and what some are calling the "male friendship recession."

The Male Friendship Equation: Meeting a Loneliness Crisis Head-On

Americans are increasingly isolated, especially men. This month, instead of despairing, we’re exploring the state of male friendship, warts and all.

A human brain depicted with a computer chip and circuits coming out of it. We look at the state of brain-machine interfaces with the advances from Elon Musk's Neuralink and other companies.

There Are Two Sides to the Brain Implant Story

As Neuralink recently showed, the medical case for brain-machine interfaces is clear. Experts are divided on the next step: upgrading otherwise healthy humans.