Nowadays, followers on social networks are shown as a sign of the dreamed reputation that any young person surrounded by new technologies aspires to. This can cause many people to feel lonely and empty in a world with which they do not feel identified: should they really trust anyone through social networks, do they really define their worth and their friends, what causes them to be rejected by this system of use and consumption?
All these questions are generators of multiple mental illnesses that affect young people in their daily lives and that sometimes can lead to tragedy because of the consequences that this can have. People, by nature, have the need to interact with other people, human beings are social beings and therefore behaviours related to isolation do not have any positive consequences for the development of minors or the management of adult emotions.
All these questions are generators of multiple mental illnesses that affect young people in their daily lives and that sometimes can lead to tragedy because of the consequences that this can have. People, by nature, have the need to interact with other people, human beings are social beings and therefore behaviours related to isolation do not have any positive consequences for the development of minors or the management of adult emotions.
It is recurrent that many people in their childhood have experienced that feeling of rejection, feeling out of place, not being understood by their peer group and all that this causes, affecting their relationships with others and how they can manage them correctly so that they do not feel overwhelmed. Social networks are a tool that on many occasions can avoid being physically exposed to experiencing negative feelings thanks to a profile that goes beyond face-to-face relationships and focuses more on ephemeral relationships, relationships that in many cases provide good things and connect people from anywhere in the world, but in many other cases make it even more difficult to manage emotions face-to-face for fear of being rejected or that the relationship is too solid for what today's society demands, which seeks the immediate, the liquid. This causes many people to be unable to recognise whether the friends they have can be qualified as such or whether they are simply acquaintances who help them feel less lonely in a society that is so connected and so little polarised at the same time.
It is important to mention that this affects people of any age, although it is true that young people, for the most part, are the ones who use social networks the most and who are most aware of the lack of support networks and the mental illnesses that this can cause, such as depression or a deficient emotional intelligence that can lead to tense and inefficient networks, but in this globalised and mobile world no one can be saved from this worrying phenomenon.
When we move on to the vital stage of adolescence, we observe that having a good support network among your peer group is fundamental to create a good self-concept and a good self-image of oneself, so crucial for both the near and distant future, often avoiding recurring psychological disorders such as social anxiety or extreme insecurity that makes an adolescent feel that he or she is not capable of maintaining face-to-face relationships for fear of rejection and consequent exclusion. Despite having good relationships within the family, it is still crucial to have healthy relationships with friends who contribute to your day-to-day life. The family is fundamental for the early development of a baby but the peer group and its opinion becomes more relevant when we start to define our friendship and style, so the lack of it is highly dangerous and can be categorised by the person as a personal failure when it really is not and multiple factors influence this phenomenon.
It is important to mention that this affects people of any age, although it is true that young people, for the most part, are the ones who use social networks the most and who are most aware of the lack of support networks and the mental illnesses that this can cause, such as depression or a deficient emotional intelligence that can lead to tense and inefficient networks, but in this globalised and mobile world no one can be saved from this worrying phenomenon.
When we move on to the vital stage of adolescence, we observe that having a good support network among your peer group is fundamental to create a good self-concept and a good self-image of oneself, so crucial for both the near and distant future, often avoiding recurring psychological disorders such as social anxiety or extreme insecurity that makes an adolescent feel that he or she is not capable of maintaining face-to-face relationships for fear of rejection and consequent exclusion. Despite having good relationships within the family, it is still crucial to have healthy relationships with friends who contribute to your day-to-day life. The family is fundamental for the early development of a baby but the peer group and its opinion becomes more relevant when we start to define our friendship and style, so the lack of it is highly dangerous and can be categorised by the person as a personal failure when it really is not and multiple factors influence this phenomenon.
Having a friend with whom to share joys and tears may seem normal to us but this is really necessary for the daily life of human beings who need society to feed back to it and feel part of a community that is in line with their identity and ideas, so, a good early emotional intelligence, from school and a good future management will be crucial to avoid potential discrimination on people classified as different for the simple fact of not fitting into the normative, something really valuable.
For all these reasons, on July 30th we celebrate the International Day of Friendship, which aims to value what friendship really is, all the positive consequences it has and how through stable and lasting bonds we can create a better world for the common good. Friendship is something precious and we should start to value it because it really is the most precious treasure.
For all these reasons, on July 30th we celebrate the International Day of Friendship, which aims to value what friendship really is, all the positive consequences it has and how through stable and lasting bonds we can create a better world for the common good. Friendship is something precious and we should start to value it because it really is the most precious treasure.
YERAY HALIFI MORALES AND MARÍA BOLLERO GONZÁLEZ
Yeray and María are a Spanish volunteer in Praxis organisation involved in the International Friendship Day.
