Remember when people used to invite friends over for DINNER?

Not DoorDash. Not “come over for a drink after the kids go to bed.”

An actual dinner party where you cleaned your house, cooked food and willingly allowed several people to use your bathroom.

Apparently, we're doing that a LOT less.

A new analysis found only about 67 per cent of North Americans entertained people in their homes at least once over the past year, compared with 88 per cent in 1995. And regular hosting has fallen dramatically over the decades.

So why don't we invite people over anymore?

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1. We're Too Tired

After working, commuting, parenting, making dinner every other night and trying to remember why we walked into the laundry room… Now you want me to entertain PEOPLE? At this age, cancelling plans sometimes feels better than the plans.

2. Hosting Has Become Too Complicated

Once upon a time, you put out some chips, ordered pizza and called it a party. Now everything has to look Pinterest-worthy.

Your house needs to be spotless. The table needs to be beautiful. And before planning the menu you need to know who's gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, keto or currently emotionally unavailable to carbohydrates. I miss the days when the dietary question was: “Do you eat onions?”

3. It's Expensive

Have you seen grocery prices? Feeding eight people used to be a dinner party. Now it's a financial decision requiring approval from your bank.

By the time you've bought appetizers, dinner, dessert and drinks, you could've just taken everyone to Costco and bought them each a rotisserie chicken.

4. We Have Fewer Close Friends

This one is a little sad. The number of people reporting large groups of close friends has dropped considerably over the past few decades.

We're spending more time alone and participating less in community activities that traditionally helped people build friendships. Also, somewhere after 40, your social circle becomes: Three good friends, two work friends and one woman you've been meaning to have coffee with since 2019.

5. Our Screens Are Really Good Now

Why invite eight people into your home when your couch is already offering:

Netflix.

Prime Video.

Crave.

TikTok.

And absolutely no requirement to wear pants with a button.

Home entertainment has become so good that staying home doesn't feel like missing out anymore.

🎙️ THE TAKEAWAY

Maybe the dinner party isn't dying because we're antisocial. Maybe we're just tired, broke and don't want to clean the bathroom twice.

Because hosting isn't just dinner.

First you clean the house.

Then you grocery shop.

Then you cook.

Then everyone comes over.

Then you pretend your house always looks like this.

Then everyone leaves…

AND YOU HAVE TO CLEAN THE HOUSE AGAIN.

Honestly? Let's just meet at a restaurant.