A friend is a person whom one knows and with whom one has a bond of mutual affection. They are our emotional support, someone who shares our stress and fun. People will have a lot of friends over the course of their lives, with some bonds or friendships lasting longer than others.
Friendships have changed over the years along with technology, which has played a major role in how friendships work and grow nowadays. People have gone from exchanging letters to texts, from waiting months for communication to mere seconds.
Friendships a hundred years ago are nothing like the friendships that exist today.
Friends in the 1920s used to go out and spend time together, dancing to jazz, visiting speakeasies, going to movies or taking a road trip in their automobile. Back then, this would also be how you’d meet new people, since these local attractions would always be lively and busy. Although most of the friends people had were based on where they lived, these friendships tended to last longer.
Friendship problems typically revolve around social exclusion, as excluding an “outsider.” Friendships could be broken by gossip.
Today, friendships are influenced by technology. It has made it easier to stay in touch, as communication is essential in maintaining long distance relationships or friendships. Social media also provides people with the opportunity to make and connect with new friends.
Friendship problems today have also become complicated. New issues have developed ranging from emotional exhaustion, which makes maintaining a friendship feel like a chore, to having fake friends, to “fizzling” over fuming, which is when a friendship starts to slowly fade because of the lack of commitment.
FVHS junior Tanushri Vivek Singaram said,“Today, there are more internal conflicts than physical bullying. But today, friendships are more diverse, not restrictive.”
Whether today or a hundred years ago, friends, true friends, resolve their problems together. Having friends and staying with them through the ups and downs throughout the course of your life is what makes friendships valuable. Remember to cherish your friendships.
