[ad_1]
When Lily was 26, she realized that all her closest friends were in serious relationships. “They were all at different stages in life for me,” she recalls two years later. “I never felt like a tricycle, but I wanted to meet new people.” I went online like I do when I’m home. “I downloaded Bumble BFF. It made a difference because she was single too, and now she’s one of my closest friends.”
Throw back five years and a story like Lily’s sounds shocking. Even strange. Sure, we were adjusting to meeting romantic partners online, but there was still a social stigma. Aren’t you supposed to find them in real life? And shouldn’t you already have enough?
not exactly. In 2021, an Australian report called millennials and Gen Z the loneliest generation, with two of Gen Z (54%) and millennials (51%) girlfriends one he regularly feeling lonely. I reported feeling of another generation. Meanwhile, YouGov found that 30% of her millennials “always” or “often” felt lonely in her 2019, and nearly 1 in 4 of her couldn’t name a single friend. Did.
These stats may come as a surprise, especially to those who think that millennials and Gen Z, who grew up in the age of social media, will have more friends than previous generations. Whether it’s WhatsApp, iMessage, Instagram or Twitter, we’re surrounded by constant communication. Others just need a few taps and swipes. But obviously that doesn’t necessarily lead to offline connections.
Enter the friendship app. Since its launch in 2016, Bumble BFF has seen continuous growth, with nearly 15% of all his Bumble users also using his BFF feature, a 10% increase from the previous year. The service works just like dating. A user can create profiles detailing various interests and swipe through other profiles in hopes of expanding his social circle.
Today, Tinder Social, Wink, Hey! Vina, and a Meetup that connects people with common interests. Meetup started in 2002 with the goal of building community in post-9/11 New York City, but has since become a global success known for fostering friendships around the world. Meetup CEO David Siegel said: “Many companies still have employees working from home, and the opportunity to meet people through the office environment is lost.”
There is needless embarrassment in the desire to make new friends, which should not be
Of course, the pandemic has had a huge impact on friendships, regardless of age. More people than ever before are working remotely. Some have moved from the city. Some feel they have to change their lives completely. All of these take a toll on your circle of friendship. According to a recent poll by LifeSearch, nearly one in three UK adults has fallen out with friends due to the pressures of the pandemic, losing an average of four friends since Covid began. Meanwhile, in his March, Google published a list of the most searched themes over the last 12 months. It was searched at a record high.and according to BBH Globalthe fastest growing ‘how to’ search in the UK in 2022 was ‘how to make friends as an adult’.
“The nature of friendships has changed,” says psychologist Madeleine Mason Launtree. “Not only with the advent of smartphones, but also as a result of connections moving online during lockdown. For those who live in However, it also has the opposite effect of giving friends the illusion of intimacy without physical contact, which may only exacerbate feelings of loneliness and social isolation.
Jo Threlfall, 30, said: When Threlfall moved across the city and found that her core social circle didn’t exist, she joined her Bumble BFF. “I met her two there. We can meet during walks and coffee,” she says.
Ellie, 24, has also had great success using the Friendship app after moving. “I moved from London to Belfast with my partner and I had a hard time making friends because I felt a little bit of an outsider,” she recalled, then followed by the now-defunct Girl Crew. I joined the app and met people. “Funny enough, a lot of us were in a similar situation. Soon, they were going out regularly in groups for dinner and cocktail tastings.
“I also realized that there is needless embarrassment in the desire to make new friends, which shouldn’t be happening,” she adds. “I’ve gotten over it and now happily approach people who seem to be my vibe. [whom] i want to be friendsbut app [can] Facilitate this conversation and make the process accessible to those who are nervous about this type of interaction. “
Friendship apps are being released all the time due to their popularity. Take Pally for millennials, for example. Instead of featuring photos in the style of dating apps, it applies social psychology to match users. “In five years he’s lived in five cities,” says Pally founder Harry Hubble, 24. You go to countless events, communities, and clubs and filter everyone you meet in an attempt to find someone who is truly compatible with you. It will end up. “
Hubble believes that the risks of using friendship apps are much the same as using dating apps. That means “hours of mindless scrolling and swiping instead of making real social connections”. Get the technology, he says. “Our main differentiator is that we consider the whole person when introducing new people,” he explains. “Their identity, values, personality, lifestyle, interests.” The app also matches people into groups rather than matching individuals. The former is more user-friendly.
A lot of friendships are chances — which means we don’t always date people who are really, really compatible with us.
Given the changing world, it’s no surprise that friendship apps are growing in popularity. Dating apps are now mainstream, so it makes sense that the same technology would eventually apply to friendships. Meeting people online is not as easy as it sounds. Sure, you can easily match someone and start a conversation. But who says they won’t make you a ghost, a breadcrumb, or a zombie later on?
“The same classic Internet-related concerns remain with the Friendship app, but they are mostly irrelevant,” he says. friendship cure“At the end of the day, there are many things at stake when it comes to friendships and relationships. [the] The push-pull, gameplay dynamics that have come to define the modern dating landscape.
“The comfort of friendship apps is that you can reasonably expect people who download them to at least be open to making new friends. And while that may be beautiful, it also means that we don’t always hang out with people who are really, really compatible with us.
As loneliness continues to become a national concern and friendships naturally drift apart after the pandemic, it’s important to actively seek solutions to help people form connections. It may seem counter-intuitive to do it on screen, given that is the same prism that isolates. As for the stigma of meeting people at? “It doesn’t matter,” he says Leaver. “When you think about how important it is to have friends, how you make them is less important, isn’t it?”
[ad_2]
Source link
