The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos Men Don’t Just Need Friends. They Need Bromance.

Men today are spending less time with friends, and many have no close friendships at all. Research shows that this lack of social connection can lead to serious long-term consequences for men’s mental and physical health. The answer isn’t just more social interaction. Guys need something deeper: bromance.

Dr. Laurie speaks with actor, director, and author Andrew McCarthy about his book, Who Needs Friends: An Unscientific Examination of Male Friendship Across America, and what he learned after reconnecting with the men who shaped his life. She also talks with Harvard behavioral scientist Todd Rogers about why sports fandom can be a surprisingly powerful way for men to build deeper relationships.

Experts Mentioned:

• Andrew McCarthy, actor, director, and author
• Todd Rogers, Professor of Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School
• Julianne Holt-Lunstad, Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience and Director of the Social Connection & Health Lab at Brigham Young University
• Michael Norton, Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School
• Sara Algoe, Professor of Psychology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Resources Mentioned: 

• Who Needs Friends: An Unscientific Examination of Male Friendship Across America, by Andrew McCarthy (2026)
• The Fandom and Social Connection Initiative
• Harvard Study of Adult Development
• The Ritual Effect: The Transformative Power of Our Everyday Actions, by Michael Norton (2024)
• “Positive Interpersonal Processes,” by Sara Algoe (Current Directions in Psychological Science, 2019)