How to make friends as a grown-man

But it seems forming and maintaining solid friendships later in life is especially tough for blokes. So how do you make friends as a grown-up?
That’s the subject of a mini-documentary from Vice, How to Make Friends As a Grown-Ass Man, in partnership with the Movember Foundation.
Vice host Micah Greenwood puts aside his insecurities and soldiers on through the awkwardness in an attempt to make some new mates.
“We found that a quarter of men between the ages of 35 and 55 have no one they can rely on outside their immediate family,” men’s mental health researcher Charlie Coulton tells Micah.
 “There are blokes who are quite good at maintaining a surface level, a veneer level of social connectedness, but aren’t very good at deepening those relationships to have honest and empathic conversations,” Mr Coulton said.
Micah, 31, is a Queenslander who moved down to Melbourne for work, and says he can identify with this situation.
“I didn’t know anyone when I moved down here. A lot of the friends I made have been through work or friends of friends,” he said.
Micah tries three activities — footy training, speed dating and a whisky masterclass — to try and meet new people.
He’s affectionately crowned the ‘Knob of the Week’ by the West Brunswick Magpies, gets some conversation tips during speed dating (Top tip: ask someone about their ideal Saturday, rather than what they do for a living) and makes a new friend over shots of whisky.
The Movember Foundation wants to spread the word about how important close friendships are to our mental health.
“We know that good friendships and strong social connections help men to stay mentally healthy and can also reduce their risk of suicide,” executive director of the Movember Foundation, Paul Villanti, told B&T magazine.
“Movember is all about having fun and doing good, and this video demonstrates how blokes can have a good time, and perhaps also make some greater connections,” he said..