A 2014 Pew Report estimates that by the time today’s young adults reach the age of 50, about one in four of them will have never married. According to a national survey ongoing since 1974, Americans have never been less likely to be friends with their neighbors than they are now, with neighborliness lowest in the suburbs. [...] they are more likely than married people to encourage, help and socialize with their friends and neighbors. [...] people who live alone are often the life of their cities and towns. Single people, regardless of whether they live alone or with others, also volunteer more for social service organizations, educational groups, hospitals and organizations devoted to the arts than people who are married. Unfortunately, single life continues to be stigmatized, with single people routinely stereotyped as less secure and more self-centered than married people. Reports of the early death of single people have also been greatly exaggerated, as have claims that marriage transforms miserable, sickly single people into happy and healthy spouses. [...] the insularity of couples who move in together or get married can leave them vulnerable to poorer mental health. Studies have shown that people who stay single develop more confidence in their own opinions and undergo more personal growth and development than people who marry.