A lot more people cancel on friends to stay in than you think

We have - uh - things to do.

cancel on friends
(Image credit: Moviestore/REX/Shutterstock)

We have - uh - things to do.

We’re living in the post-FOMO generation, apparently. A new study has revealed over half of Brits have cancelled on their friends to stay at home and mosey about on the couch - completely guilt-free. Some have even gone as far as to cancel on weddings to stay in, so you’d better make sure the new Game of Thrones season premiere doesn’t clash with the happiest day of your life.

According to research by DFS, 56% of Brits have cancelled on plans to spend time at home. Getting all dressed up to go clubbing was the biggest casualty in the game of FOGO (the fear of going out), with 68% cancelling on nights out to curl up in bed for an early bedtime.

cancel on friends

Moviestore/REX/Shutterstock
(Image credit: Moviestore/REX/Shutterstock)

Others gave the sunshine and grilled meats a miss, with one in ten choosing to spend quality time with the best Netflix shows rather than go for a summer barbecue with friends. A tiny 5% had gone as far as to cancel on their friend’s weddings to stay inside - given that binging television together is good for your relationship, maybe they were just busy working on their own romance.

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Cancelling was a more common occurrence than you’d think, with one in ten people skipping out on their besties remorse-free every two weeks. The study also revealed that we spend an average of 21 hours in our living rooms each week - that's nearly an entire day getting comfy on the couch. Easy access to home dinner deliveries through HungryHouse and Deliveroo, as well as access to home TV streaming services like BBC iPlayer and Netflix definitely don't help either.

I mean, we’ve all cancelled on our friends before to stay in. There are few things more important than a brand new season of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. But given that it's becoming more of a trend, this is one bad habit we should probably be trying to break.

Megan C. Hills

Megan is a freelance journalist who covers entertainment and all things lifestyle, with a particular passion for fashion, beauty, travel and Keanu Reeves stories. She has previously worked on staff for titles including Marie Claire UK, CNN Style and The Evening Standard and has written for titles such as Bustle UK, Wallpaper*, Forbes and Hong Kong Tatler. She splits her time between London and her hometown Hong Kong, where she currently lives with the love of her life - an elderly dog named Poppy - and her husband.