The Big Story Have adults lost the art of making and maintaining friendships?
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Oct 2, 2025 In this engaging discussion, Dr. Loren Soeiro, a clinical psychologist specializing in loneliness and adult friendships, highlights the complexities of maintaining connections in today's world. They delve into how the pandemic has impacted our social skills and strained relationships. Dr. Soeiro shares insights on the practical barriers adults face in making new friends and discusses the differences between online and in-person interactions. With a focus on meaningful connections, he emphasizes the importance of evaluating friendships and setting boundaries on divisive topics.
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College Is A Friendship Peak
- College often provides the last easy environment to meet new long-term friends due to shared structure and goals.
- After graduation, work and life differences make forming similar new friendships much harder.
Initiate Contact To Prevent Drift
- Take initiative to organise meetups because mutual exhaustion means nobody else will.
- Reach out first rather than waiting for others to act if you want friendships to continue.
Weak Ties Eroded By The Pandemic
- The pandemic reduced casual daily contact with familiar strangers and weak ties that used to sustain social practice.
- Losing those informal encounters made social skills and small talk feel effortful for many people.
