The Liz Moody Podcast The New Rules of Friendship: Fake Friends, Annoying Boundaries, & Bad Texters
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Oct 21, 2026 
Dr. Marisa G. Franco, psychologist, University of Maryland professor, and author of Platonic, ranks viral friendship advice. They explore fake versus “bridge” friends, bad texting, jealousy, work friendships, advice that actually lands, and boundaries that protect both people. They also unpack repair, recurring plans, friend-of-friend dinners, vulnerability, and when a friendship has run its course.
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Create Repeated Opportunities For Friendship
- Build regular infrastructure for connection through language classes, tennis clubs, or other recurring activities.
- Mere exposure increases liking and gives new friendships a runway, while repeated contact reduces the burden of initiating every meeting.
Bad Texting Does Not Always Mean Bad Friendship
- Slow texting does not reliably reveal how much someone cares; in-person behavior and explicitly communicated needs provide better evidence.
- Assuming rejection can make people colder, while assuming people like you activates warmer behavior that increases acceptance.
Ask Directly For More Reciprocity
- Tell a friend directly that you love spending time together and would appreciate them initiating more often.
- Then observe their response and calibrate expectations, since they may care about you but operate on a slower planning timeline.
