Friendships in Adulthood: The Role of Social Media
Introduction
The power of social media—love it or hate it, but you just cannot ignore it! It is greatly impacting our lives, be it teens, adults, or seniors. Let us see how social media is changing the trend of friendship in adulthood.
“Friendship” – what image does this word conjure up for you? Nursery school and the friends you made there? Making friends with the children of your parents’ friends? Being friends with the children who live in your building? It is a mix of those I went to school with and those I grew up with. As we age, our thought process changes and so does the meaning of friendship for us. As adults, there are many challenges that we have overcome, many successes that we have celebrated, many battles lost, and many wars won.
Our perception transforms, as we age. When some seniors take to social media and make new connections, some prefer to tone down their friend list to a select few. When some seniors learn to become “influencers”, some like to take a digital detox. When some seniors learn to video chat with their grandchildren, some yearn for that face-to-face interaction with their grandchildren. When those who are not mobile (moving) learn how to order stuff online, the ones who are in good shape like to take that walk to the supermarket to buy stuff.
Change Is Good
We all have our select group of friends with whom we share a close bond, irrespective of the distance between us and irrespective of the time we have been in touch. Example: Facebook is one such platform where many of us have “found” our friends, and re-connected with them. This platform is a good way to connect with our old friends as well as make new friends.
Example: Suppose you joined an online hobby class, and are part of their online community, automatically you will make new friends and get acquainted with the other students in your class (even though they may be in another part of the world).
No More Lonely Days
As adults, we tend to feel lonely at times, as the children and their families reside elsewhere or are very busy with their work/education. We, being long retired from work, have a lot of free time on hand. This is where social media comes in. We can learn how to navigate the various social media platforms and watch the series on Netflix to pass the time. Alternately, there have been cases where senior citizens aged 70+ years have successfully launched their YouTube channels showcasing their recipes artwork or needlework and become successful entrepreneurs. We learn to communicate with our ‘followers’ and make new contacts in the process, thereby doing away with feelings of isolation and loneliness.
Distance No Longer Matters
Picture this – you are in India and your best friends are settled in USA/Canada/children /Hyderabad. Social mediums are a great way to connect with all of them, from the comfort of your home. Distance is no longer a roadblock. You can talk or chat with all of them easily.
No Age To Learn
The beauty of social media is that it is easy to learn. Small children to adults to seniors, all can be proficient in it. The excitement of an elder learning how to navigate social media is boundless. The happiness, the elation on their face is priceless. The feeling of learning something new and mysterious is indeed beyond words. And the icing on the cake is using this media to stay in touch with their friends! The joy of seeing each other online, after decades, is priceless.
Social media brings us up to speed on how our friends are and how they are /what they are up to presently. It rekindles the glow of friendship and even though we may be connecting after decades, it feels just like yesterday, and we can pick up from where we left off.
Mind- Boggling
The interactions on social media greatly enhance cognitive skills and keep us updated with the trending topics, content, and information available online. We can “show off” these skills to our friends and engage in friendly banter on these platforms. The way we interact with each other can be creative too. We can share our hand-painted pottery online with our friends and take their feedback. At the same time, we can also promote our work online, and may end up selling a few!
Friendships: Tradition to Modernity
Interactions on social media also help to build confidence and keep us motivated. After all, that is all that one desires in this age. On the flip side, some prefer the old school friendships and write letters and cards, by hand, and post them, at a real post office, to their friends, thereby keeping the tradition alive. Nowadays, all wishing is done at the click of a button or a left swipe.
Making new friends offline is also easier – it could be your fellow laughter club members those you meet during your morning walk in the park or those you meet in church, anywhere for that matter. Interacting with them opens a whole new world. We can describe these relationships as acquaintances, as we are not as close to them as we are to our childhood friends/school friends.
Conclusion
All said and done, we need to be cautious while using social media to avoid online scams and protect ourselves. We need to use it sparingly, and avoid too much screen time, to avoid neck, shoulder, and eye pains. We need to cultivate offline friendships too, so we can get a breath of fresh air. Imagine the cool breeze blowing your hair as you take that morning walk with a fellow morning walker.
Relationships may change, but friendships live on forever. Social media or no social media, true friends do find ways to connect and have each other’s backs.
“In good times, and bad times, I’ll be on your side forever more; that’s what friends are for.”
Ms Rupal Sonpal
Published: 2nd January 2025, Reviewed by Dr Aarti Nehra (MBBS, MMST - IIT)
