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It’s official: Age 29 is the year Americans feel they have their social lives “together,” according to new research – but is it downhill from there?
A study examining the social lives and lifestyle behaviors of 2,000 Americans has discovered half of those surveyed consider ages 21-30 as the period they experienced their most thriving social lives, with age 29 as the average.
One major factor contributing to “peak social life” is first getting your life together. Results discovered that 72 percent say getting your life in order is necessary before you are able to enjoy a thriving social life.
The study, commissioned by Evite in partnership with OnePoll, found that for those who may not have hit their social life peak, there are certain lifestyle areas that can benefit from some proactive improvement.
For instance, 61 percent of those studied reveal getting your finances in order is essential before you can have a complete and fulfilling social life.
And that’s not the only area of your life that should be in order before you can expect to hit peak social status. Beyond finances, nutrition/wellness (53 percent), self-confidence/self-esteem (52 percent), romantic relationships (51 percent) and career goals (50 percent) are all integral to sort out before getting your social life bustling.
Sixty-nine percent of those studied revealed working a stable job has improved their social lives while a further 72 percent say long-term romantic relationships are necessary to have a good social life.
Turns out, 72 percent of those surveyed say acting like an adult and having a thriving social life go hand in hand.
And 66 percent say they had to feel like an adult before having a thriving social life.
However, 65 percent still say they feel like they aren’t making the most out of their social lives.
“There’s a misconception that our social lives ‘peak’ in high school or college, but the truth is, more and more people seek meaningful, long-lasting relationships, and often those are formed or solidified in adulthood," said Kristy Gharabally, spokesperson for Evite. "Many key milestones occur in your 20s, and the people you form those relationships with are along for the ride.”
Many of these factors are typically associated with the transition from adolescence to adulthood. When asked about what types of events made individuals feel as though they had crossed over to “adulthood,” 54 percent of those surveyed responded “weddings,” and 52 percent responded “dinner parties.”
Yet, even adults cancel. And when other people have canceled plans, a whopping 82 percent have felt relief – with nearly a quarter (24 percent) feeling joy associated with someone canceling plans on them in what’s now popularly dubbed “JOMO” (Joy of Missing Out).
What’s more, 61 percent have personally made plans only to cancel them before they happened.
And of those who have canceled plans, 35 percent reveal they felt relieved after doing so while a further 23 percent were thrilled.
That being said, not everyone considers themselves to be social and not every social person has always been that way. It turns out, of those who haven’t always been social beings, a staggering 46 percent said once they were confident in themselves, they were able to be more social.
Thirty-six percent of those who haven’t always been social people said once they got their finances in order and had a career they were proud of, they were able to become more social.
“The early years of adulting are tough for all of us, but the numbers reassure us that it definitely gets better," Gharabally added. "And for those over 30, don’t worry. Continue fostering your most meaningful relationships; those are the ones that will carry you well past your peak social butterfly days.”
TOP 5 AREAS OF LIFE THAT NEED TO BE IN ORDER BEFORE HAVING A FULFILLING SOCIAL LIFE
Finances 61%
Nutrition/wellness 53%
Self-confidence/self-esteem 52%
Romantic relationships 51%
Career goals 50%
TOP 5 ‘ADULT’ EVENTS
Weddings 54%
Dinner parties 52%
Happy hours (with colleagues) 46%
Housewarmings 44%
Bachelor/bachelorette parties 43%
TOP 5 ‘ADULT’ SOCIAL CONVERSATIONS
Plans for the future 62%
Arranging social events with friends and family 52%
Politics 48%
Health care 47%
Weather 36%
