With the spread of social media, friendship has undergone significant transformations, both in terms of social dynamics and communication methods. Here are some of the main changes:
1. Increase in quantity, reduction in quality
Social media has made it possible to connect with a much larger number of people than before, expanding social networks. However, this increase in the number of “friends” often does not translate into deep connections. Many friendships on social media are superficial, more about content sharing than real emotional bonds.
2. More frequent but less personal interactions
Before social media, maintaining a friendship required effort, such as calls, visits, or letters. Now, a “like” or a comment is enough to keep in touch, but these interactions are often less meaningful. Social media favors quick exchanges, with little depth.
3. Constant exposure to others’ lives
Social media allows for continuous visibility into others’ lives through photos, stories, and posts. This can foster a sense of connection but can also lead to envy, comparison, and insecurities. You might feel like you know everything about a person, even without sharing significant moments together.
4. New forms of “virtual” friendship
Virtual friendship has become very common. People who have never met in real life can build close and meaningful relationships online, based on common interests or shared experiences. These relationships can be real and deep, but some argue that they lack an essential physical and emotional aspect.
5. Speed and ease of reconnecting
Social media has made it much easier to reconnect with people you’ve lost touch with, such as old school friends or former colleagues. This has reduced the idea of “losing contact” with someone. However, these rekindled relationships can remain superficial or based solely on maintaining an online connection.
6. Social pressure and FOMO (Fear of Missing Out)
Constant exposure to others’ social lives can create pressure to always be connected or participate in events. The “fear of missing out” is amplified by social media, creating anxiety in relationships and a need for constant approval through “likes” and comments.
7. Self-representation and authenticity
Social media allows people to carefully curate their public image, showing only certain aspects of themselves. This can lead to relationships based on partial or idealized representations, rather than on a true mutual understanding. In some cases, it can increase the gap between who we really are and what we show to our friends.
8. Risk of conflicts and misunderstandings
Communication on social media is often fragmented and lacks vocal tones or facial expressions, which can lead to misunderstandings and conflicts. Moreover, personal opinions shared publicly can cause rifts between friends, especially on sensitive topics like politics or religion.
9. Amplified effect of social media on toxic relationships
Toxic or conflictual relationships can be amplified on social media, where the public sharing of personal information, gossip, or criticism can damage friendships more extensively and quickly than in face-to-face interactions.
10. New ways of support and closeness
However, social media can also be powerful tools of support, especially in situations of geographical distance. People can use platforms like Facebook or WhatsApp to offer emotional support, advice, and comfort in real time, fostering a sense of closeness even when physically apart.
In summary, friendship in the social media era has seen an expansion of social networks, with faster and more immediate interactions but often at the expense of depth. Connections can be maintained more easily but often at the cost of the quality of the bond. Authenticity and direct human contact are, unfortunately, often sacrificed, creating a new balance between the real and virtual worlds
