Half of young Brits think their grandparents have better social lives than them

Half of young people believe their grandparents have a better social life than them - and more friends.

A new survey has revealed good friends are hard to come by in the digital age for the under 25s. It found 50 per cent of those quizzed say their parents and grandparents have a better social life.

They also admit to finding it hard to meet new friends in real life, despite having hundreds of online followers. Slightly older people in their 30s and 40s say they only have six people in their lives they truly connect with, according to the poll by ASK Italian.

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Overall, 44 per cent of Brits aged 44 and under say it’s harder for their generation to socialise in the real world, due to the added layer of digital communication. Four in ten feel like they are missing out on real-life connections and admit to feeling lonely.

Despite this, 41 per cent have no idea where or how to go about making new friends, with social anxiety (42 per cent), being too busy with work (33 per cent), finding real-life meetups awkward (34 per cent), being more comfortable talking online, (28 per cent), low self-confidence (22 per cent) and not knowing where to hang out (22 per cent) to blame.

Restaurant chain ASK Italian, which commissioned the survey of 2,000 Brits, is launching a new initiative Feeding Friendships. Every Wednesday at ASK Italian, the national restaurant group will be offering friends, both new and old, some freebies, to encourage them to make time for each other and create memorable moments.

Caitlin Hoey, senior brand manager at ASK Italian said: “We know it can be hard to gain and keep your friends in adulthood, which sees us being pulled in different directions to friends, such as moving across the country to follow your dreams or the demands of developing your career, plus the added complexities of social media - it’s tough out there.

“The research we commissioned showcases the intricacies of modern adult friendship and why our new Feeding Friendship Initiative is so important. We want to help friends to swap social media for a social life and make time for each other.”

And when it comes to which celebrity the nation would like to be besties with, Ryan Reynolds (16 per cent), Taylor Swift (12 per cent), Dawn French (12 per cent), David Beckham (11 per cent), Jennifer Aniston (11 per cent), Idris Elba (10 per cent) and Alison Hammond (nine per cent) are top of the wish list.