Before the pandemic, most of us hung out. We had work friends and neighborhood friends. We went places and met people. Then we went inside. Today, as we try to build back our social lives, many of us find it's not so easy.

According to the Survey Center on American Life, many individuals suffered reduced contact with friends during the pandemic, and the places where friendships usually develop have been either less available to us or not available at all. The Survey Center's study shows 54% of Americans with close friends say they met a close friend at their or their spouse's workplace. 47% made a close friend at school. About one-third (35%) have made a close friend in their neighborhood, and about one in five made a close friend at their place of worship or a club or organization they belong to. Fewer than 10% say they have made a close friend online.