The Impact of Friends in Adolescence
An interview with a middle school girl reflecting upon navigating the social landscape of junior high
Friendships aren’t necessarily the cause of teenage anxiety but rather the drama that comes with it. Once teenagers enter junior high, changes start to happen and people may begin to act out. Drama between friends is extremely stressful since friends are supposed to be people that you can just chill around and be goofy with.
Sometimes friends choose not to talk or other friends take sides
This causes high stress levels which often take over your entire consciousness. Many times one person did something that the other person found rude or impudent. Most of the time the person that did something wrong isn’t even aware. Because of this, they think it’s just a big dumb misunderstanding, so they don’t think to simply apologize and fix it. When one person doesn’t see what they did was wrong, they can be filled with anxiety. They then may feel at fault for ruining the friendship instead of a realizing there has been a severe lack of communication.
The pros of friendship 100% outweigh the drama
Friends are so important throughout adolescence because they just make life so much better. It’s so much better to have people to talk to and hang out with than being on your own all the time. Being alone can have a negative effect on your mental health so having people to be with is very important. And even though you have your family to be around, it’s always good to have someone that isn’t around you 24/7.
Having friends makes life so much more enjoyable
You make so many amazing memories with them. If you’re going through a hard time, friends can be there to support you and help you through it. Good friends will do many things to make sure that you’re okay. They’ll also do challenging things with you so you don’t have to be alone. Even though drama happens quite a lot, friends are still a very important part in teenagers’ lives.
Some teens have many friends
Having lots of friends can be a very good thing and can make life better sometimes. For example, when your closest friends aren’t in any of your classes but you are still friends with other people. However, there are some downsides to being friends with lots of people though. If you’re someone who doesn’t have a main friend group, you usually switch between different ones.
Flipping friend groups constantly can be quite stressful
It’s always hard when everyone has different hangout spots. Sometimes they’ll be in one spot when you hang out with them. Then, you spend time with your other friends for a few days. However, when you go back to the original group, they randomly move and you don’t know where they are anymore.
This can be quite confusing and leave you feeling self-conscious. Sometimes their new spot no longer has enough room for you. Even though this sucks, a positive of being friends with many people is that you can go with the other people you know and hang out with them until your other friends move again. Having many friends has its pros and cons. Sometimes it’s better to be friends with lots of people but have a main friend group you hang out with during breaks at school.
Social Relationships are Tricky
Adults struggle with making and keeping friends. Imagine being a teen trying to fit in, find your identity and passion, and maintain your values. We all want to find our tribe. When your teen might need extra support navigating the social landscape of adolescence, help is available. The right fit with a teen therapist can be invaluable to helping your teen thrive through high school and beyond.