HAPPY FRIENDSHIP DAY 2024: The terms ‘friend’ and ‘friendship’ refer to a wide range of interpersonal connections, from newly formed friendships to long-term bonds of intense passion and loyalty. World Friendship Day is observed each year on August 4. Our friendship practices shape and mirror how we arrange our political, religious, family, romantic, existential, and social lives.
But, what is the psychology of friendship, and why are friendships important?
Friendship is widely acknowledged to have several psychological benefits and to be essential to both the well-being of the person and the community. Studying the ever-evolving forms, practices, experiences, and purposes of friendship is essential given its situational and flexible accomplishment.
Psychology of Friendships and Their Importance
Adult Friendships
After reviewing 38 studies, the American Psychological Association concluded that adult friendships — especially those of a high calibre that offer companionship and social support — significantly indicate well-being and can guard against mental health problems like anxiety and depression. These advantages also last for the duration of a person’s life.
No Friends
According to Brigham Young University psychologist Holt-Lunstad’s meta-analysis of over 308,000 individuals, persons who have weak or no friendships are two times more likely to die young—a risk factor that is even higher than the consequences of smoking 20 cigarettes a day.
Researchers who have studied friendship have even discovered that friends’ brain activity is comparable in areas related to motivation, reward, identity, and sensory processing.
In a study titled Similar Neural Responses Predict Friendship that was published in Nature Communications, researchers gathered fMRI data from members of a social network and discovered that after watching a sequence of video clips, closer friends showed more comparable brain activity.
Romantic Relationships
On the other hand, romantic relationships could be more satisfying if they resemble friendships more.
According to an analysis of around 8,000 British Household Panel Survey individuals, those who claimed their spouse was also their closest friend reported having a life satisfaction that was about twice as high.
Trusted Companion
Having a trusted companion or confidant is beneficial for us, yet psychologists have also demonstrated that social contact with acquaintances and even strangers may improve our mental health.
“Weak” Social Ties
Professor of the Psychology of Kindness at the University of Sussex, Gillian Sandstrom, discusses “weak” social ties.
A study by Sandstrom titled Social Interactions and Well-Being: The Surprising Power of Weak Ties that was published in Sage Journals found that people are happier when they have more weak-tie interactions than when they have fewer and that people are generally happier on days when they have more interactions than they typically do.
Psychologists argue that in light of the obvious advantages of friendship, platonic social connections should be encouraged in all spheres of society, including the workplace, public places, educational institutions, and the entertainment industry.
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