Ways to maintain authentic friendships on social media

CHENNAI: Building a friendship is no less than forming any kind of relationship. There are people out there who struggle to find genuine friends. Especially in the world of social media, not everyone that comes into our life has good intentions. This Friendship Day, let’s find out how your favourite personalities from the internet are dealing on maintaining authentic friendships in the social media world.

Palak Rathi, Gen Z finance content creator, “Do you know what’s the best thing about social media? Accessibility. Accessibility to literally anyone and everyone. It’s up to us how we use that accessibility - to just network or to actually build meaningful relationships beyond networking. Don’t connect with people only when you need a favour, but rather keep talking to them once in a while, check on them, appreciate them, celebrate their small victories by maybe reacting to a story or sending them a sweet message or calling them up to congratulate them. And most importantly - stay genuine and don’t try to be someone who you’re not. Because only then you’ll be able to find people who you can really connect with on a deeper level rather than just likes and comments on the surface level. Engage with people whose interests align with you or should I say whose “vibe” matches with you. That will help you make friends and not just connections.”

Adete Dahiya, Gen Z lifestyle content creator, “Whenever we talk about the impact of social media, romantic relationships often take precedence over anything else. But its impact on friendships and other interpersonal relationships is even more profound. Social media has made it so easy to stay in touch with friends and make new ones online. But the flip side is that it has made it much harder to maintain meaningful connections and bonds. It is essential to check in, speak to them face to face and get a deeper understanding of what is happening in each others’ lives. If you live in the same city, make it a priority to meet weekly. The key is not to become lazy because of social media, but to use it to deepen your connection.”