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  • Single men in their 20s are more likely to struggle with depression and excessive drinking than their married peers. Tweet This
  • Despite the Hollywood narrative, the evidence shows that single men aren’t necessarily having the most fun. Tweet This

In movies headlined by overgrown boy actors such as Owen Wilson, Seth Rogen and Vince Vaughn, the 20-something single guy’s life sure looks like a lot of fun. In one iconic scene from “Wedding Crashers,” Will Ferrell’s character’s response to hearing of a friend’s impending marriage is hysterical laughter. “What an idiot, oh what a loser! Good, good, more [women] for me and you!” After kissing an impossibly beautiful hookup goodbye, the Ferrell character proclaims: “I’m just living the dream.”

Oh, the life of the young single man. Pop culture’s depiction of young men’s single years as impossibly fun, footloose and fancy-free has a certain purchase in our culture. It’s one reason why plenty of young men look at marriage as a “ball and chain,” but that mind-set can have a number of downsides.

Continue reading at the Washington Post . . .