As a kid, making friends is as easy as going up to someone on the playground and saying hi. Boom. Instant BFFs. As an adult, however, it's not as easy.
According to psychologist and University of Maryland professor Marisa G. Franco, that’s because making friends doesn't happen organically as you get older. Marisa said quote, “Sociologists have kind of identified the ingredients that need to be in place for us to make friends organically, and they are continuous unplanned interaction and shared vulnerability. But as we become adults, we have less and less environments where those ingredients are at play.”
So basically, if we are waiting for friendship to happen naturally, we might be waiting forever. Marisa says being intentional is essential. Friendships as an adult need effort, not luck.
According to Marisa, the key to building friendships is setting up planned interactions- like group events. She said, quote, “Researchers also find that when we develop groups, our friendships are more sustainable than they are with individuals. Because there's multiple touch points now, right? Someone else in the group could reach out to all of us, and then we all keep in touch."
Age and Gender can also be a factor when making friends because of different life experiences.
Source: WBUR