ABSTRACT
In recent years, governments have begun to acknowledge the high toll that loneliness takes on the many citizens who experience it, and have taken steps to establish policies to alleviate loneliness. While alleviating loneliness is not the same as stimulating friendships, this can be a start; furthermore, governments can build on what we know about friendship-building in order to pursue policies that are in line with that. But without addressing the systemic factors that destroy or impede friendships, such policies can only have limited results. Friendship creation then is a transformative project that requires reversing some of the adverse tendencies associated with capitalism, competition, and mobility. The author concludes that while much is still unknown about how best to encourage friendship, governments should seek to encourage research about which best practices can enable the formation of friendships and take steps to foster spaces where interpersonal relationships can develop. While political will would be required to pursue such measures, they are appropriate realms for government to claim responsibility.
