Have you experienced changes in your friendships during the pandemic?
If so, how would you describe what is different now? How do you define “close friendship”? What distinguishes it from other friendships? How many close friendships do you have? Do you agree that three to six close friends is ideal?
The article says that “research suggests the size of a person’s online network may not have any meaningful impact on their perceived well-being.” Does this data reflect your experience? Do you feel that your internet friendships are as satisfying as your in-person ones?
Jeffrey Hall, a professor of communication studies at the University of Kansas, said that “your personality and the characteristics of your life are going to make a difference” in the number of friends that you want and need. How do your personality and the characteristics of your life influence your friendships? For example, are you an introvert, like the author, who might be satisfied with fewer and closer friendships? Or do you like to have a lot of different friends who bring out different parts of you? Do you feel satisfied with the number of friendships you have? Do you feel supported, cared for and heard? Do you and your friends have fun together? Do friendships ever feel complicated or confusing? What advice would you give someone who is struggling with friendship? How many close friends do you have? Do you think that amount is higher or lower than average? How many true friends do you have in your life?
serious replies only
By true friend I'm talking more in vein with friends that have an emotional bond with you, not those people you occasionally go out with. How many friends do you consider "normal?" I'm 23 and have probably four close friends.
I feel like I have very few friends, and right now I'm actually quite depressed about it. I'm 23 and feel out of place with most of the people I'm around, and I only have four people I can call friends. What can I do, and is this normal? How many close friends do you have? Is it normal to lose a lot of friends by your late 20s and early 30s.
The lockdown has really made me think about this more. How many close friends do you really have? Any advice for those who don't have many or any friends as adults? How many friends do you need to be happy? How many close friends do you have? And how often do you keep in touch? How old are you, and how many TRUE friends do you have at your current age? How many true friends do you have? How many close friends and friends do you have? Do you hang out with all of them? How many friends do you have and do you make friends easily?
Earlier, I was someone who would like to hang out in big groups. Since childhood, I had a lot of friends so having night-outs, birthday parties, school picnics, etc., was all super fun for me. But now that I have grown up, my friend circle has shrunk, a lot. Even though I am in contact with most of my friends, the friends I can actually trust and be myself around are just 3.
I get it since all of us have grown up our priorities, responsibilities, likes, dislikes, even we have changed; if not a lot at least a little bit. I used to think and feel sad about it. But I have realized this, even though now my circle is small, these people mean the world to me. They have been with me through every thick and thin, motivated me, laughed, and cried with me. And you know what I am lucky and glad to have such amazing people around me!
As the One Direction song goes-
Does it ever drive you crazy, just how fast the night changes?
Although I miss those fun moments from childhood, I think am more than happy with the change! What about you? Do you feel the same? What is your friendship story? I have people that I know and can have a drink with occasionally but there aren't any people I know in my life anymore that I would consider "close" friends.
I mean I used to know people at school but I left school over three years ago and we all drifted apart, I mean I barely speak to anyone from school anymore. I've only really made friends this year at university and it's turned out to be my last year and I feel like they'll drift away as well.
My girlfriend is my best friend, we live together, we love each other and we're together everyday but I do get envious that she has a small group of friends that she can always talk to yet I don't have that. It was summed up when we talked about weddings and she mentioned how she'd have as her bridesmaids and when I thought about how would be my best man, I realised that I don't have anyone I could ask, hell I barely have anyone other than my family who I'd invite to the wedding.
The article says that “research suggests the size of a person’s online network may not have any meaningful impact on their perceived well-being.” Does this data reflect your experience? Do you feel that your internet friendships are as satisfying as your in-person ones?
Jeffrey Hall, a professor of communication studies at the University of Kansas, said that “your personality and the characteristics of your life are going to make a difference” in the number of friends that you want and need. How do your personality and the characteristics of your life influence your friendships? For example, are you an introvert, like the author, who might be satisfied with fewer and closer friendships? Or do you like to have a lot of different friends who bring out different parts of you? Do you feel satisfied with the number of friendships you have? Do you feel supported, cared for and heard? Do you and your friends have fun together? Do friendships ever feel complicated or confusing? What advice would you give someone who is struggling with friendship? How many close friends do you have? Do you think that amount is higher or lower than average? How many true friends do you have in your life?
serious replies only
By true friend I'm talking more in vein with friends that have an emotional bond with you, not those people you occasionally go out with. How many friends do you consider "normal?" I'm 23 and have probably four close friends.
I feel like I have very few friends, and right now I'm actually quite depressed about it. I'm 23 and feel out of place with most of the people I'm around, and I only have four people I can call friends. What can I do, and is this normal? How many close friends do you have? Is it normal to lose a lot of friends by your late 20s and early 30s.
The lockdown has really made me think about this more. How many close friends do you really have? Any advice for those who don't have many or any friends as adults? How many friends do you need to be happy? How many close friends do you have? And how often do you keep in touch? How old are you, and how many TRUE friends do you have at your current age? How many true friends do you have? How many close friends and friends do you have? Do you hang out with all of them? How many friends do you have and do you make friends easily?
Earlier, I was someone who would like to hang out in big groups. Since childhood, I had a lot of friends so having night-outs, birthday parties, school picnics, etc., was all super fun for me. But now that I have grown up, my friend circle has shrunk, a lot. Even though I am in contact with most of my friends, the friends I can actually trust and be myself around are just 3.
I get it since all of us have grown up our priorities, responsibilities, likes, dislikes, even we have changed; if not a lot at least a little bit. I used to think and feel sad about it. But I have realized this, even though now my circle is small, these people mean the world to me. They have been with me through every thick and thin, motivated me, laughed, and cried with me. And you know what I am lucky and glad to have such amazing people around me!
As the One Direction song goes-
Does it ever drive you crazy, just how fast the night changes?
Although I miss those fun moments from childhood, I think am more than happy with the change! What about you? Do you feel the same? What is your friendship story? I have people that I know and can have a drink with occasionally but there aren't any people I know in my life anymore that I would consider "close" friends.
I mean I used to know people at school but I left school over three years ago and we all drifted apart, I mean I barely speak to anyone from school anymore. I've only really made friends this year at university and it's turned out to be my last year and I feel like they'll drift away as well.
My girlfriend is my best friend, we live together, we love each other and we're together everyday but I do get envious that she has a small group of friends that she can always talk to yet I don't have that. It was summed up when we talked about weddings and she mentioned how she'd have as her bridesmaids and when I thought about how would be my best man, I realised that I don't have anyone I could ask, hell I barely have anyone other than my family who I'd invite to the wedding.
