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

Men Don’t Just Need Friends. They Need Bromance.

The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos vor 3 Monaten

0:00

43:49

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)

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