The Lafayette Company · Released November 3, 2025
Young American Men Survey 2025
The Lafayette Company surveyed 1,000 young American men ages 16 to 28 for the first Symposium on Young American Men: mental health, friendship, faith, screens and work, and the habits that separate the men who are doing well from the men who are not.
1,000
Men surveyed
Aged 16 to 28, nationwide
57%
of young men rate their own mental health fair, poor or very poor
40.5% rate it excellent or good
48%
of young men spend 5 hours a week or less with people in person
11% have no close friends at all
50.5%
of young men are online 5 or more hours a day
Streaming, gaming, browsing and social media
Fielded October 22–26, 2025 · margin of error ±3.01% · population Males aged 16–28 in the United States
What we found
Six topline numbers
Click “the question” to dive deeper.
- 57%of young men rate their own mental health fair, poor or very poor
Most rate their own mental health poorly
57% of young men rate their own mental health fair, poor or very poor. 40.5% of young men rate their own mental health excellent or good. 41% of young men say their mental health has gotten worse since 2020, and 35% say it has gotten better. Asked about other men their age, they rate them worse than themselves.
The question - 23%of young men who never exercise rate their mental health excellent or good, against 48% of those who exercise regularly
Habits divide them more than demographics
Among young men who exercise regularly, 48% rate their mental health excellent or good. Among young men who never exercise, 23% rate it excellent or good. Age, race and party barely move that number. Practicing a faith, belonging to a group and staying off screens move it the way exercise does.
The question - 48%of young men have two or fewer close friends
Two or fewer close friends
48% of young men have two or fewer close friends, and 11% have none at all. 48% of young men spend five hours a week or less with people in person. 36% of young men are less socially engaged than they were before 2020, and 27% are more.
The question - 20%of young men would handle a personal crisis alone
One in five would face a crisis alone
Asked who they would turn to in a personal crisis, 20% of young men say no one. That is more than the 18% of young men who would turn to a friend. 7% of young men would turn to AI, close to the 8% who would turn to a mental health professional.
The question - 50.5%of young men are online five or more hours a day
Half are online five or more hours a day
50.5% of young men spend five or more hours online every day, and 27% spend more than six. 53% of young men play video games every day or almost every day. 83% of young men spend at least an hour a day on YouTube. 76% of young men use AI tools at least occasionally.
The question - 40%of young men have no male mentor or role model
Four in ten have no male mentor
40% of young men have no male mentor or role model. 55% of young men agree that men-only groups help young men grow, and 14% disagree. 21% of young men are or have been in a fraternity, and those men report better outcomes across the survey.
The question
Mental health
Fair, poor or very poor, and getting worse
How young men rate their own mental health, and how it has moved since 2020.
Personally speaking, how would you rate your own overall mental health?
- Excellent 14%
- Good 26.5%
- Fair 33%
- Unsure 2%
- Poor 15.2%
- Very poor 9.2%
Compared to before 2020 and the pandemic, do you feel your mental health has improved, worsened, or stayed the same?
- Improved 34.8%
- Stayed the same 21.4%
- Unsure 2.7%
- Worsened 41.2%
The breakdown
How different factors affect mental well-being
Each group is placed by the share of young men in it who rate their own mental health excellent or good.
Highest
- Grad College54%
- Fraternity-Affiliated53%
- Regular Religion52%
Lowest
- Never Exercise23%
- Irregular Exercise30%
- No Religion32%
Each dot is one of the 40 crosstab segments, placed by the share rating their own mental health Excellent or Good. Vertical position carries no meaning; dots are stacked only so they do not overlap. Hover or tap a dot to name it.
What separates them
Habits and affiliations, not demographics
Age, race and party barely move whether a young man rates his own mental health excellent or good. How he spends his time moves it much more.
Exercise
25 pt gap
Fraternity
21 pt gap
Education
21 pt gap
Faith
20 pt gap
Screen time
16 pt gap
Age
4 pt gap
Share rating their own mental health Excellent or Good. The blue end of each row is the first-named group, the red end the second. All rows share one scale, so a longer bar is a genuinely wider gap.
How the time goes
Free time, before and after 18
Each young man picked the three activities he spends the most time on, so the columns add up to more than 100%.
18 and above
- Playing video games43.2%
- Browsing or posting on social media16.5%
- Watching TV, movies, or streaming content36.7%
- Online gambling or sports wagering8.3%
- Playing or watching sports15.1%
- Attending social events or hanging out with friends12.4%
- Spending time with family21.4%
- Participating in clubs or group activities4.1%
- Volunteering or community service4.8%
- Exercising or going to the gym19.3%
- Reading books, articles, or blogs7.6%
- Listening to music or podcasts26.1%
- Working on personal projects or hobbies (e.g., art, coding, writing)14.2%
- Studying or doing schoolwork8%
- Working a job or side hustle19%
- Unsure2.1%
Below 18
- Playing video games41.8%
- Browsing or posting on social media19%
- Watching TV, movies, or streaming content34.4%
- Playing or watching sports29.8%
- Attending social events or hanging out with friends9.7%
- Spending time with family16.8%
- Participating in clubs or group activities4%
- Volunteering or community service6.5%
- Exercising or going to the gym13.1%
- Reading books, articles, or blogs4%
- Listening to music or podcasts38.8%
- Working on personal projects or hobbies (e.g., art, coding, writing)36%
- Studying or doing schoolwork7.1%
- Working a job or side hustle17.9%
- Unsure0.6%
Question asked: “How do you typically spend your free time? Select the three activities you do most often or spend the most time on.” No online gambling or sports wagering figure was reported for respondents under 18. The under-18 group is a subset of the 233 respondents aged 16 to 18, so its margin of error is at least ±6.4 points against the survey’s ±3.01%.
Where do you stand?
Answer six of the questions we asked
After each answer you see how 1,000 young American men answered, with yours marked. Nothing is saved.
Question 1 of 6
Personally speaking, how would you rate your own overall mental health?
Where the news comes from
Three platforms, not three networks
YouTube, TikTok and Instagram are the three sources young men name most. No television category comes within 25 points of YouTube.
- YouTube44.5%
- TikTok35.4%
- Instagram29.4%
- Twitter / X19%
- National broadcast television news (i.e. NBC, ABC, CBS)17.2%
- Cable news (i.e. Fox News, MSNBC, CNN)15.3%
- Facebook14.8%
- Streaming app(s) (i.e. YouTube TV, Hulu)14.4%
- Local broadcast television news10.1%
- AI, like ChatGPT7.6%
- Podcasts6.3%
- Newspaper5.8%
- Talk radio3.2%
- Other websites8.7%
- Unsure5.1%
Question asked: “What are your primary sources for news? Select up to three options.”
Every question
All 22 questions
Grouped by theme. Each question has its own page: the breakdown, the table, a PNG and an embed.
Mental health4 questions
Peer Mental Health Rating
How would you rate the overall mental health of young men your age?
- Excellent8.4%
- Good17.1%
- Fair34.2%
- Poor29.3%
- Very poor8%
- Unsure3%
Personal Mental Health Rating
Personally speaking, how would you rate your own overall mental health?
- Excellent14%
- Good26.5%
- Fair33%
- Poor15.2%
- Very poor9.2%
- Unsure2%
Who They Turn To In A Crisis
If you were facing a personal non-physical crisis or emergency, who or what would you most likely turn to for support?
- Family members31.9%
- No one, I'd handle it on my own19.8%
- Friends17.6%
- Mental health professional7.9%
- AI, like ChatGPT7.3%
- Teacher, coach, or mentor4.5%
- Unsure4.5%
- Religious leader3.5%
- Online community or forum3%
Mental Health Since 2020
Compared to before 2020 and the pandemic, do you feel your mental health has improved, worsened, or stayed the same?
- Worsened41.2%
- Improved34.8%
- Stayed the same21.4%
- Unsure2.7%
Connection3 questions
Social Engagement Since 2020
Compared to before 2020 and the pandemic, how would you describe your current level of in-person social engagement?
- I am less socially engaged than before35.8%
- I am about as socially engaged as five years ago32.8%
- I am more socially engaged now26.7%
- Unsure4.7%
Close Friends
How many close friends do you have, friends you can rely on and contact anytime, even if it's been a while?
- None10.7%
- 1 to 237.2%
- 3 to 537.2%
- 6 or more12%
- Unsure3%
In-Person Social Hours
On average, how many hours per week do you spend in-person with friends or participating in social activities?
- Less than 1 hour14.3%
- 1 to 5 hours33.5%
- 6 to 10 hours28.2%
- 11 to 20 hours13.2%
- More than 20 hours6.2%
- Unsure4.6%
Digital life6 questions
Hours Online Daily
On average, how many hours per day do you spend online, including social media, streaming, gaming and browsing?
- Less than 1 hour2.8%
- 1 to 2 hours14.4%
- 3 to 4 hours29.8%
- 5 to 6 hours23.6%
- More than 6 hours26.9%
- Unsure2.5%
Gaming Frequency
How often do you play video games?
- Daily or almost daily, 2 or more hours35.7%
- A few times a week21.2%
- Daily or almost daily, less than 2 hours17.7%
- A few times a month10.5%
- I've played, but not regularly8.5%
- I don't play video games5%
- Unsure1.4%
AI Use
How often do you use generative AI chat conversations, like ChatGPT, for things like search, advice, ideas or decision-making?
- Occasionally28.8%
- Never21.5%
- Weekly21.4%
- Daily16.1%
- Monthly9.8%
- Unsure2.4%
Sports Betting
How often do you gamble or wager on sports, including online sports betting?
- I don't gamble or wager on sports49%
- I've gambled or wagered, but not regularly11.7%
- Only on special occasions10.6%
- A few times a month10.2%
- A few times a week8.7%
- Daily or almost daily6.8%
- Unsure3.1%
Adult Content
How often do you come across or intentionally view adult sexual content online?
- Occasionally28.2%
- Weekly21.7%
- Daily17.9%
- Never16.4%
- Monthly9.2%
- Unsure6.7%
YouTube Hours Daily
On average, how many hours per day do you spend on YouTube?
- Less than 1 hour14.4%
- 1 to 2 hours27.4%
- 3 to 4 hours28.5%
- 5 to 6 hours15.9%
- More than 6 hours11.4%
- Unsure2.5%
Belonging4 questions
Mentorship
Do you have a male mentor or role model who is a regular influence in your life?
- Yes, I have a male mentor or role model53%
- No, I don't have a male mentor40.1%
- Unsure6.8%
Fraternity Membership
Are you or have you ever been a member of a college or university-affiliated fraternity?
- Yes21%
- No73.6%
- Unsure5.3%
Do Men-Only Groups Help?
Do you agree or disagree that being part of a men-only group or organization helps young men grow personally?
- Agree54.5%
- Neither24.5%
- Disagree14.4%
- Unsure6.6%
Joining a Faith-Based Group
How likely are you to join a faith-based organization?
- Likely46.1%
- Unlikely38.1%
- Already a member of a faith-based organization7.1%
- Unsure8.8%
Life & work5 questions
Personal Top Priority
Personally speaking, which do you consider to be your top priority right now?
- Financial stability27.2%
- Mental health17.2%
- Career or job advancement12.2%
- Education or academic success11.8%
- Physical health8.9%
- Family responsibilities6.7%
- Romantic relationships5.5%
- Social life or friendships5.3%
- Unsure5.2%
Biggest Challenge Facing Young Men
What do you think is the biggest issue facing young men today?
- Financial stress or economic uncertainty23.4%
- Mental health struggles20.6%
- Social isolation or loneliness9.7%
- Lack of mentorship or guidance8.8%
- Unclear sense of identity or purpose8.5%
- Pressure to meet societal expectations7.1%
- Difficulty forming meaningful relationships6.3%
- Substance use or addiction6%
- Lack of community or belonging5.4%
- Unsure4.2%
Life Direction
Is your life going the way you expected or envisioned it would go?
- Yes50.2%
- No46.4%
- Unsure3.5%
Exercise Frequency
On average, how many days per week do you engage in physical exercise?
- Never7.5%
- Less than once a week16.7%
- Once a week15.2%
- Several times a week31.8%
- Nearly every day19%
- Every day9.8%
Relationship Status
What is your current relationship status?
- Single, but interested in a relationship39.4%
- Single and not interested in a relationship22%
- In a committed relationship18.3%
- Married10.2%
- Dating, but not in a committed relationship5.1%
- Unsure3.4%
- Divorced1.6%
Using the data
Terms
Quote any figure with credit to the Symposium on Young American Men and a link to its page. Do not alter or redistribute the data.
About this data
Method and provenance
Source
The Lafayette Company, Young American Men Survey 2025. Fielded by Cygnal, October 22–26, 2025. n=1,000, margin of error ±3.01%.
Coverage
All 22 topline questions are published above, in full.
Terms
© The Lafayette Company. Quote with credit and a link. Do not alter or redistribute. Cite as "Symposium on Young American Men, Young American Men Survey 2025, youngamericanmen.com/data/2025".