What is the science understanding by the word “friend”?
In different sociological studies, this word means different things. A friend can be a colleague at work with whom you are having lunch, a friend who is fun to go to parties with, or a person with whom you were close in your student years or sat at the same desk at school. In the latest research study on friendship, published in Child Development, researchers have proven the benefits of close friendship during adolescence.
What do scientists say about the benefits of friendship?
Friendship during adolescence affects a person’s mental health in the future. The study involved 169 people of different nationalities and different levels of income. Scientists interviewed subjects when they were 15, 16 and 25 years old. Young people who had a friend at the age of 15 and 16 had a lower level of anxiety and a lower tendency to depression at 25 years old than those who did not have a close friend. “We were not surprised that adolescence friendship is important. We were surprised at how it shapes the state of the human psyche in the future, ”commented Rachel Narr, the author of the study.
One old or hundred new on Facebook?
In modern realities, adolescents have a tendency to chase popularity, not communication. Thousands of followers on Facebook and Instagram can replace one real friend with them – and this is wrong. Psychologist Tim Casser took to researching this topic and proved that people who are chasing a number of friends later feel less happy than those who have enough of one, but very close friend.
Friendship against chronic diseases?
Psychology professor at the University of Michigan, Bill Chopik, was able to prove the connection between friendly relations and the course of chronic diseases. In a study with 280,000 people, it became clear that in adulthood, chronic diseases are mild if you have a good friend. Here again, the quality of communication is important: superficial friends, when meeting with whom it is indecent to cry, brag or burst into laughter, are not considered.
