And according to a new national survey, we’re feeling it.
The study found that nearly HALF of Americans feel like their lives are lacking fun right now. Even worse? Some people can’t even remember the last time they had an entire free day just to enjoy themselves. Honestly, that part hit hard.
The survey — commissioned by Dave & Buster’s and conducted by Talker Research — found that Americans say they’d need an extra 17 hours a week to have the amount of fun they actually want in life.
Seventeen hours!
That’s basically a part-time job dedicated to joy.
And here’s my Stacy take:
I don’t think people are just exhausted from work. I think we’re exhausted from life administration.
Everything feels like effort now.
Dinner plans require calendar coordination worthy of the United Nations. A casual night out somehow becomes:
- parking apps
- traffic
- “Where should we go?”
- group texts
- reservation links
- checking the menu beforehand because someone’s on a GLP-1 and someone else suddenly “doesn’t drink during the week.”
By the time the plans happen, half the group wants to cancel and the other half needs Advil.
The study says people want more fun, connection, and social experiences — but cost, schedules, burnout, and not knowing what to do are getting in the way.
Again: relatable.
And yet… we NEED it.
The survey also found that fun helps reduce stress, improves motivation, and makes people feel closer to friends and family.
Which explains why the nights we almost cancel are usually the nights we end up saying:
“OMG I needed this.”
Personally? Some of my favorite moments lately haven’t been fancy vacations or huge events. It’s been:
- laughing too hard at dinner in Westchester
- wandering around Untermyer Gardens Conservancy pretending I’m a tourist
- spontaneous Broadway nights
- pizza that folds correctly in New York City
- Palm Beach people-watching
- getting dressed up for absolutely no reason
- finding a restaurant dessert so good the whole table goes silent
That counts as joy too.
And maybe that’s part of the problem — we think fun has to be this giant expensive production when sometimes it’s just saying YES more often.
YES to the dinner.
YES to leaving the house.
YES to the concert on a Tuesday.
YES to seeing people in real life instead of just liking their Instagram Stories.
Because I really do think adults are forgetting how important fun is.
Not fake fun for content.
Not performative fun.
Real fun.
The kind where nobody checks their phone for 20 minutes because everyone’s actually enjoying themselves.
The kind where you come home happier than when you left.
And honestly? In 2026, that might be the ultimate luxury.
