From the Editorial:
Thanks to astounding technological advances, it has never been easier in the history of civilization to keep in touch with friends. There are natural barriers that make maintaining connections challenging, from attending new schools to changing jobs to moving to new neighborhoods. Our digital worlds have removed time and distance as obstacles. But, while most of us follow dozens of people who may have slipped from our memory before the age of social media, we rarely reach out to them even though they’re only a few clicks away. We should be enjoying the Golden Age of Friendship, but we’re not.
I explored this paradox while researching and writing my book, “Modern Friendship: How to Nurture Our Most Valued Connections.” I talked to more than 100 people of different ages, economic and racial backgrounds, and gender identities. I listened to their most intimate, vulnerable stories about their friendships. I asked about their friendscapes — how they gravitate toward certain friends over others as their mutual interests and passions evolve. I consulted academics, researchers and mental health professionals. I learned that even though friendships are just as crucial to our well-being as romantic and familial relationships, we do not organize our lives to include them regularly. We lack the language to discuss these bonds. We apply the ambiguous heading of “friends” to our entire social circle, which doesn’t account for these relationships’ varying degrees of closeness. We also struggle with articulating our wants and needs to one another. But we can change that. Here’s what I’ve learned about how to understand modern friendships.