Source: Marginal REVOLUTION
The shift isn't about total friend time disappearing—it's about when that socializing happens, with weeknights and weekends becoming less predictable. Gig work, flexible schedules, and always-on digital communication are fragmenting the cultural synchronization that once made Friday night a default social anchor. Consumer businesses built on "weekend leisure" patterns—bars, restaurants, entertainment venues—now face dispersed demand that traditional operating hours and marketing calendars don't solve.