Friendships often manifest in small gestures, shared meals, or a voice note that says, “Girl, you won’t believe what just happened today.” For many women, it is a part of their everyday life shared through good news and shared struggles. But in an era where solitude is celebrated and digital connections replace one-on-one bonding, we are forced to question if friendships are important or if they are a societal expectation.
Sometimes, I find myself asking if we really need friends when there is a repeated pattern of betrayal, envy, and deception among humans. We actually can’t ignore the fact that it is one of the most powerful forms of human connection.
The Role of Friendships in Human Connection
Friendships have always been celebrated as a cornerstone of human connection. Relationships are evolving, and many people are prioritizing them over their life goals, mental health, and careers. For some, the idea of needing friends is the influence of their environment on them, rather than a genuine necessity. Still, despite these shifts around us, friendship continues to play a powerful role in emotional well-being, personal growth, and community building.
Women’s friendships often go beyond casual connection. They become support systems and sometimes indirect therapy sessions. Most women have that one person or a small circle they call to bare their heart to. The people in their corner that will turn up for them anytime. Although it is moments like this that make others question their friendships.
There are no rules to how friendships function because they vary across age groups. Among teenagers and young adults, it is a way they try to identify themselves. While among adults, it is a bonding tool. Although age doesn’t determine the strength of a relationship between people, I believe friendship is strengthened by sincerity and intentionality.
See Also: How Friendship Circles Impact Women’s Emotional and Mental Health
However, in adulthood, friendships often shift in both form and intensity. Careers, marriage, and parenting begin to compete for time and emotional energy. You find out that maintaining friendships requires more intentional effort than it did in your youth. A friend who once lived down the street may now live in another city or even another continent. Conversations that once happened daily might now occur only through occasional voice notes or scheduled video calls.
Things usually take a new dimension in the later stage of life. Older women usually rely on friendships for companionship and emotional support, especially when children grow up and leave the house. In many African communities, elderly women gather in social groups, church associations, or neighborhood circles where friendship becomes a source of shared wisdom and comfort.
The relationships we are so eager to cut off now for “peace of mind” are something we will come to appreciate in old age.
The Benefits of Friendships
If you think friendships don’t have any benefit, it’s because you haven’t found your person. If you’ve experienced the right one, you will know it can improve mental health, reduce moments of loneliness, and create a sense of belonging. Trusted friends are usually present during difficult moments, giving you perspective and support. Even the American Psychological Association backs it up with science that friendships keep us healthy. According to their June 2023 publication, “Blood pressure reactivity is lower when people talk to a supportive friend rather than a friend whom they feel ambivalent about.”
Friendships can also open doors to opportunity. A recommendation from a trusted friend can lead to a job opportunity, a business partnership, or a life-changing connection.
Yet friendships are not without pitfalls. Modern-day relationships are increasingly influenced by social media, where comparison and lip service sometimes replace genuine connection. The pressure to appear constantly supportive or available can also create emotional strain. Miscommunication, jealousy, or pursuing different life paths can make even long-standing friendships fade away.
One of the major challenges is individual difference, which most people haven’t come around to accepting. Recently, the world is heavy on prioritizing self-sufficiency and personal boundaries. While this can be healthy, it can also lead to a culture where we see friendships as inconvenient or emotionally demanding. This encourages people to stop taking accountability for their actions towards others and makes some only make friends for what they can get out of that relationship.
Still, patterns across cultures and generations suggest that friendships are more than just a social construct. Humans are inherently social beings, and the need for connection runs deep. Even the most independent individuals often have a confidant who listens without judgment and celebrates their wins without envy.
Perhaps the real question is not whether friendships are essential, but how we define and nurture them in our present reality encumbered with busy schedules and digital distractions.
Genuine friendships may require more intention than ever before. Let’s nurture them with honesty, empathy, and patience. No matter how independent we become, life becomes easier, richer, and far more meaningful when shared with someone who truly understands us.
