One of the issues confronting couples today is the relationship and friendship with other couples — especially as social isolation has become a plague in our social media era. A decade or so ago Psychology Today presented an article discussing what makes for couple’s friendship. Such friendship reinforces the couple’s own relationship. Needless to say, social media has made this issue even more complex today. The following is from that article …………..

“One of the biggest challenges for couples is to determine how to spend their time – do they spend it alone with just each other, alone without their partner, each partner with individual friends, with family, or with other couples? ….  It is well-established that people with friends live longer, healthier, and happier lives. Friends keep us on our toes, socially engaged, and mentally active …. Couples who share friends (which include individuals or family members) tend to be happier. These couples get to be together with friends and family and engage in enjoyable and meaningful activities. They are more fully integrated into their social network if friendships are shared and this may re-enforce their own relationship …. Related to marital/partner happiness, couple friendships can strengthen individual friendships that the couple has with one or both members of the other couple. Many couples described friendships that began on a one-to-one basis; the men knew each other from college or the women met at work and then introduced their spouses to each other. The opportunity to still go out alone with the close friend as well as with the other partners of the friends re-enforces the earlier friendship. “Couples Friendly with other Couples.” Psychology Today (2012).

“A French court had ruled that a woman had violated her marital duties by not having sex with her husband. The European Court of Human Rights condemned that decision. Europe’s top human rights court said that the French court’s decision had violated the woman’s right to private life and autonomy, which included her sexual life. The decision was seen as a milestone by women’s rights activists who have long raised concerns about France’s marital laws …. It was a symbolic victory for the woman, who had argued that she should not have been found at fault in the divorce. Women’s rights groups called the decision a fundamental step to address sexual violence and other forms of abuse against women in relationships.” “European Court – Wife Entitled to Refuse Sex.” New York Times (Jan. 26, 2025).

“What do the loneliness epidemic, falling rates of adolescent drinking and dating, and worsening mental health among teenagers and young adults have in common? …. Trends in time spent alone are an almost exact parallel of trends in mental health, where rates of mental distress are mounting among the young, but not the middle-aged or older …. The most obvious culprit in terms of timing and age gradient is the proliferation of smartphones and hyper-engaging social media, which has kicked into overdrive with the era of short-form video …. The last decade is a story of young people retreating from the pursuits that bring them the most fulfilment, and replacing them — consciously or otherwise — with pale imitations. “Young People are Hanging out Less – Unhealthy for Mental Health.” Financial Tines (January 17, 2025).

     The general demographic story today is the decline of couples and the rise of singledom worldwide. Many reasons for this. But research now points to the rise of social media and cell phones. This is often accompanied by loneliness and frustration. The bright spot is that people are beginning to realize this and starting to take corrective action.  Less social media and more personal interaction. However, many may prefer singledom.

“In recent years most of the fall in birthrate is coming not from the decisions made by couples, but from a marked fall in the number of couples …. The central demographic story of modern times is the rising rates of singledom: a much more fundamental shift in the nature of modern societies. Relationships are not just becoming less common, but increasingly fragile …. But the rise of singledom and relationship dissolution is a less rosy story …. But the wider data on loneliness and dating frustrations suggests not all is well. The trend is global …. Why an almost worldwide decline, and why now? The fact that this is happening almost everywhere all at once points more to broad changes acting across borders than country-specific factors. The proliferation of smartphones and social media has been one such exogenous ….  and boosts female empowerment …. The fall in coupling is deepest in extremely online Europe …. A world of rising singledom is not necessarily any better or worse than one filled with couples and families, but it is fundamentally different to what has come before, with major social, economic and political implications.” “Relationship Recession is Going Global.” Financial Times (January 11, 2025).

“A mental health pandemic is engulfing the world’s workplaces ….  The scale of the problem is hugely worrying, particularly among young people ….  Factors driving the global mental health crisis range from the cost of living to the pervasive use of social media …. However, after huge progress on improving mental health at work, some campaigners are warning of worrying signs of a reversal — partly as a result of a backlash against “woke” attitudes and a belief that such concerns even fuel mental health disorders. There’s more unhelpful rhetoric going around, with people using terms like ‘snowflake’ and beginning to point towards mental health as being a cause of inactivity in the economy This is leading to an increase in stigma which will prevent people speaking up about it. This is a challenge for us.” “Global Mental Health Crisis Among Young and in the Workplace.” Financial Times (Dec. 17, 2024).

A good article appeared recently discussing the heartbreak of parent-child estrangement. The bottom line is that this is a very difficult problem. However, a number of positive strategies are available to try to change the situation. Here’s an excerpt from this recent article ….

“While sometimes parents initiate estrangements, studies show that it’s more often their offspring who terminate the relationship. For the parent, there is no upside to an estrangement: It’s all shame, loss, regret and fear. However, estrangement from the adult child’s perspective offers an opportunity to demonstrate greater authority and autonomy in the relationship with the parent, set limits on hurtful behavior, express aspects of their individuality such as gender identity or sexuality, or enforce stronger boundaries …. Children can change dramatically over the course of their lives, but so can a parent. There will inevitably be aspects that the other finds challenging or difficult. In family, our task is to ensure that love and support remain the guiding principles; to find ways to communicate that foster closeness and reduce hurt; and to hope for patience — theirs and ours —­ as we navigate these new and uncharted territories of parent-adult child relationships.” “Parent-Child Estrangement.” Washington Post (August 20, 2024).