What’s the old saying? “Breaking up is hard to do”? Well, yes, it is. Everyone knows that, but there are seldom songs written about when you break up with a friend. Even though it is an incredibly hard thing to live through, 68% of Americans say they have ended a friendship and decided to follow through with it. 24% say they have not. Generation X(73%) and Baby Boomers (69%) are more likely than millennials (65%) or Gen Z (60%) to have broken up with a friend.
The so called “Silent Generation” was not reflected in the study conducted by YouGov due to limited data. Slightly fewer (52%) reported in the survey that they’ve been the friend someone broke up with 24% say this has not happened to them, but an equal amount say they aren’t sure if it has happened to them at all seeing as friendship break up aren’t always very clear cut.
Members of Gen X are more likely than Baby Boomers, Gen Z or Millennials to say someone ended a friendship with them. However, Baby Boomers are far more likely than the younger generations to be unsure if anyone ended a friendship with them. There are two main ways people say to end a friendship, a straightforward conversation or just quietly pulling away. Which do Americans prefer>
52% say its better to be upfront and tell someone that their friendship is over, 32% say its better to just slowly pull away and 17% are not sure which is better. Men and Women are nearly equal in the idea it is better to be upfront, 53% versus 50%.