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How does social media influence our decision-making when it comes to making new friends?

Marisol Mahaddie

Hey there!

Great question. Honestly, social media can have both positive and negative influences on our decision-making when it comes to making new friends. Let me break it down for you:

First off, the positive side. Social media allows us to connect with a wider range of people than we may have otherwise been able to. For example, maybe you have a shared interest in a certain hobby or fandom that isn't popular in your local area. Through social media, you can find and connect with people who share that interest from all over the world. Additionally, social media can allow us to get to know someone's personality and interests before meeting them in person, which can help us determine whether or not we'd get along well.

However, there are also negatives to consider. One major issue is that people often only present their "highlight reel" on social media - the best, most edited versions of themselves. This can lead to distorted views of who someone really is, and can make it harder to get an accurate idea of whether or not you'd truly be compatible as friends. Furthermore, social media can create pressure to conform to certain standards or fit in with certain crowds, even if those aren't the people we'd naturally gravitate towards. In these cases, we may end up making friends with people who don't align with our values or interests, simply because we feel like we're supposed to.

Another potential negative influence is that social media can foster a sense of superficiality in our friendships. When we're constantly being bombarded with images and updates from our friends' lives, it can be easy to feel like we're engaged in their world even if we're not really having deep or meaningful conversations with them. This can lead to a false sense of intimacy that doesn't necessarily translate to real-life friendships.

So, to sum up - social media can be a great tool for making friends, but we need to be aware of its potential pitfalls. It's important to actively seek out people who align with our values and interests, and to be mindful of the ways in which social media can distort our perceptions of others. As with any form of communication, it's all about finding a balance that works for us.

Hope that helps!