Across the country, a growing body of research is sounding the alarm: young men are struggling. Gen Z males report record levels of loneliness, isolation, and poor mental health, trends driven by decreased in-person connection, the rise of digital dependence, and a lack of meaningful mentorship.
A recent national poll conducted by Cygnal, a 538 and New York Times top-rated pollster, released a survey of 1,000 males aged 16 to 28, performed in October 2025 for The Lafayette Company as part of its inaugural Symposium on Young American Men. This poll revealed that:
- 57% of males aged 16–28 rate their mental health as fair or worse.
- Nearly half have two or fewer friends, and 11% have none.
- 48% spend fewer than five hours a week interacting with others in person.
- 4 in 10 do not have a male mentor.
This is not a small concern. It is becoming a generational crisis with real consequences for families, campuses, workplaces, and communities.
However, there is one model that consistently counters these alarming trends and has done so for 249 years.
FRATERNITIES.
Fraternities work. Sigma Alpha Epsilon proves it.
Amid this rise in digital disconnection, fraternity men stand apart. The same research shows that young men who join fraternities experience healthier and more connected lives than their non-affiliated peers:
- Fraternity men are more socially engaged. 60% spend six or more hours per week interacting with others in person (compared to 49% of non-affiliated men).
- They rely less on excessive recreational screen time. Only 36% of fraternity men spend more than six hours a day online (compared to 53% of others).
- They have stronger support systems. 64% have three or more close friends (vs. 36% of non-affiliated men).
- They are far more likely to have a mentor. 71% of fraternity members report having a male mentor, nearly double the national average.
- Their mental health is significantly better. 53% of fraternity men report positive mental health, compared to 41% of young men overall.
These aren’t small statistical differences. They are proof that brotherhood, structure, purpose, and community change lives. For generations, SAE has offered exactly what today’s young men are missing: meaningful friendships, accountability, mentorship, leadership development, and a lifelong sense of belonging.
But this doesn’t happen on its own.
The SAE Foundation keeps this mission alive.
Since 1927, the Sigma Alpha Epsilon Foundation has invested in SAE programs that safeguard the experiences and outcomes young men desperately need:
- Scholarships that lift educational financial barriers so more students can stay involved
- Leadership programs that teach character, service, and integrity
- Educational initiatives focused on mental health, personal development, and brotherhood
- Chapter support that strengthens safe, values-based environments
- Historical preservation that keeps our timeless Ritual and heritage alive
Every dollar given to the Foundation strengthens the infrastructure that has helped tens of thousands of young men thrive, not just in college, but throughout their entire lives.
This Giving Tuesday, you can be part of the solution.
At a moment when many young men feel disconnected and alone, SAE offers what no algorithm, screen, or digital platform can: genuine brotherhood.
Your Giving Tuesday contribution ensures that we can:
- Support leadership programs
- Provide more scholarships
- Strengthen chapter education
- Build healthier, more connected communities for years to come
For 169 years, SAE has been a beacon of friendship, leadership, and character. With your support, it will continue leading the way, offering young men exactly what the data tells us they need most.
Give today. Strengthen tomorrow. Preserve our legacy.
On this Giving Tuesday, join us in ensuring that Sigma Alpha Epsilon continues to shape better men, stronger friendships, and more connected communities, now and for every generation to come.
Donate today through the link here.
To see where we stand on the leaderboard against other Interfraternal Challenge participants, check it out here.
