Modern-day friendship isn't what we have always known, and maybe that's okay?

Modern-day friendship habits are all about swapping those long calls and planned meetups for quick pings and shared memes. But do they still keep us close or gradually kill the vibe?

Before the internet and social media claimed such a large share of our time and attention, friendships were stitched together through small but tangible rituals. Our definition of keeping our friendship alive was by meeting after school or work, sharing our Nintendo, PlayStation, or Xbox controllers (depending on your generation), kicking a ball around in the park, or spending lazy afternoons in each other’s homes with no agenda except being together. But as using social media became the default backdrop to our lives, the way we show up for our friends or express our love and connection with them has changed. 

The essence of this connection is still there, but it now exists in a space where physical presence is no longer the sole marker of closeness. We have come to learn how to survive and even thrive in this digital system that rarely pauses. Few ways that have subtly become second nature to our modern friendships, and we have listed them.

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You might be practising these modern day friendship markers too -

Staying connected without direct conversation

One of the quirks of modern friendship is how much of it now happens in the background instead of front and centre. Hour-long phone calls are hardly a thing. Today, it's about a drip-feed of reels, memes, and tweets, half of which are not even opened. This doesn't mean that the bond’s gone cold; we’ve just embraced this low-effort love language where hitting “send” has become equivalent to saying, “saw this and thought of you.” 

Because if it's not one the 'gram, did it even happen?

Birthdays, achievements, even breakups! Every defining moment in our lives needs to be acknowledged in a post or story before you can actually talk about it. We’ve turned public acknowledgement into a love language. Apparently, you’re not official with your partner until you “hard launch” them online and honestly, friendships aren’t far behind. Posting a photo dump from your bestie’s birthday, tagging them with a happy caption, or resharing their wins has become part of how we “show up.” It’s sweet, it’s celebratory, and it’s also a little bit for the audience because in 2025.

Ghosting? No, just chronically late friendship replies

These days, conversations rarely happen in one go. A text you send today might get a reply three hours or even three weeks later and no one really takes it personally. The “no rush” approach has become the norm because we’ve all accepted that everyone’s got a lot going on. “Sorry, just saw this” has basically become the new “Hey, how are you?” It’s friendship on flexible terms with no pressure or urgency, just the unspoken agreement that whenever you pick the thread back up, it’ll be like it never dropped in the first place. 

Friendship through shared interests online

Social media hasn’t just changed how we talk to our friends but also how we find them. Now, a shared obsession with a TV show, a love for the same band, or even a mutual hatred for pineapple on pizza can be all it takes to start a connection. Sometimes, that shared interest is the whole friendship.  

Witnessing each other’s lives from afar

We do not always have the time or energy to catch up with old friends, yet we keep each other updated. Much of this now happens without direct interaction. You know about that friend who moved cities, ended a relationship, or started a new hobby without a single direct conversation. While it may feel like an acceptable way of “keeping up” with them, it blurs the line between knowing someone and knowing about them. 

Well, while we’ve made our peace with these modern friendship habits, and it’s worth remembering that connection doesn’t have to live entirely behind a screen. It should still be important for one to make an effort to see their friends in person. Show up for them physically rather than leaving a comment on their post or reacting to their story. Share gossip, arguments, and inside jokes over coffee instead of confining them to a group chat. While one might consider feeling close to their friends by just being on social media, it's essential to recognise that the warmth of being in the same room with someone will always be something a screen cannot replicate.

Have modern friendship habits made staying in touch easier or more distant? Tell us your thoughts in the comments.

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