These Results From a Survey on Male Friendships Will Surprise You

The Yaari survey was conducted across India among men in the age group of 25-45 years.

(Photo: Mc Dowell’s No 1)

The past few months have not only changed the way we work and shop but has also changed the way we communicate, specially with our friends. A new survey conducted by YouGov India & McDowell’s No 1 Soda has revealed interesting findings about male friendships.

Called the Yaari survey, it was conducted across India among men in the age group of 25-45 years.

The objective was to celebrate the special bond of friendship while at the same time, decode the surrounding complexities. The survey comprised several questions related to friends and family.

Key findings of the survey

In crisis, it’s friends first

60 percent respondents said that they call or reach out to their family members and partners every single day. However, the same can’t be said about friendships. Just 28 percent of the men who took the survey said they are in touch with friends on a daily basis.

When stranded somewhere in the middle of the night, more than half of the respondents said that they’re most likely to reach out to friends first for help.

This is a clear indication that men consider friends more dependable than anyone else.

Not very expressive

Men might rush to friends for help during times of crisis, but when it comes to expressing their emotions, they hesitate. Nearly 51 percent respondents said that they will rather talk about their feelings to their partner than their friends. In fact, majority said that they very rarely tell their friends how they feel about them. The reason for this is because they believe that their bond is stronger than what can be expressed in words.

While men don’t usually tell their friends how they feel about them, they are most likely to do so in case of a heartbreak or if they are facing any stress in their personal life.

About 40 percent respondents said that if a friend were to message them about how they feel about them, their immediate reaction would be to call that person and check it they’re fine. This only goes on to suggest that in most cases, men expect only emotional circumstances to trigger verbalisation of emotions. That said, most of them agree that they would definitely feel happy on receiving such a message from their friend.

Social dos make it easier

Approximately a third of the men that participated in the survey said that if they had to tell their friends how they feel about them, doing so at social gatherings is a lot easier.

Friendship in the time of pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic certainly took a toll on the time spent with friends what with social distancing and work from home being the new normal. At the same time, it also made people realise and acknowledge the importance of staying in touch with friends and telling them how they actually feel about them.

About 40 percent respondents admitted that the frequency of calling or reaching out to friends has reduced as compared to pre-COVID times. But the good news is that 7 out of every 10 said that the pandemic hasn’t been able to weaken their friendships.

Furthermore, 38 percent of the men who took the survey stated that speaking with a friend in these tough times helped them feel normal.

Nearly 3 out of 4 men interviewed in the survey said that in uncertain times like these, they feel it’s important to tell friends how they feel about them.

While the survey has certainly managed to reveal surprising results around male friendships, one thing’s clear - men need to be a little more expressive with their friends. So the next time you meet or speak to a friend, don’t hold back. Tell them how you really feel about them, and yes, celebrate responsibly.