Dec 26, 2024 06:00:00

Why is it so hard to make friends as an adult?

As the lyrics of the nursery rhyme '

Ichinenseni Nattara ' say, 'I wonder if I can make 100 friends,' it was relatively easy to make friends when we were young, but as we grew up and became adults, many people have experienced the difficulty of building new friendships. The ESTD, an overseas media outlet, explains the difficulty of making friends as an adult.

Why making true friendships as an adult is harder than ever | The Established
https://www.theestablished.com/self/health/why-making-friends-as-an-adult-is-harder-than-ever

According to Mehak Rohira, a therapist at

The Mood Space Online Therapy in Mumbai, India, most friendships in early childhood are formed by chance. 'These friendships are formed because schools and other groups give you the opportunity to interact with people,' she said. 'Schools and other groups make it easier to meet other people, and you interact with them regularly, which results in stronger connections.' 'Furthermore, children and adolescents are naturally curious and open to others, and don't have the anxiety that comes with age.'

However, as we get older, our personalities, preferences, and beliefs become clearer, and as a result, we belong to communities of like-minded people and people who have conversations that align with our interests. This means that we are more selective about who we spend time with than we were when we were younger. Travel journalist Chandray Bandyopadhyay pointed out, 'When we were young, we probably didn't choose who we were friends with. But as we mature, we become more selective about who we are friends with.'

According to The ESTD, people often put off making new friendships due to their preoccupation with marriage, childbirth, and work. In addition, psychologist Monk Prayogshara says, 'Social anxiety and fear of rejection can prevent us from making new friendships. When we were young, we shared common environments with people from similar backgrounds, such as school and where we lived, and we had little hesitation in making friendships. However, as we get older, we tend to have less social space and our motivation to make new friendships is limited.'

Marketing expert Angela Cecilia said, 'Growing up and having our own children, we become more careful about the people we spend time with, our friends and the people we look up to because this group influences our children in many ways. Children are not only influenced by their parents but also by the people around them. So it is important to have people in your life who can indirectly influence your child in a positive way.'

Psychologist Shaurya Galawat suggested, 'Developing new friendships is not only good for your emotional and mental health, it also provides a lot of stimulation. Finding peers, both online and offline, who make you feel valued and respected can help people adopt a more positive attitude.'

'Technology and social media offer new ways to build friendships, but the challenges are that online friendships don't last long due to issues such as a lack of non-verbal communication,' Galawat said.