“I’ll be your best friend!”
On the playground, friendship is one of the main commodities going around and, as kids, the concept of “being a friend” or even being a “best friend” hasn’t fully developed yet. So, what is a best friend? Mary and Sienna discuss how they define a BFF as someone who can be relied on and trusted, and whether or not that definition changes as we age.
When someone calls you their BFF out of the blue
Calling someone a best friend can be similar to saying “I love you” for the first time. If someone says “I consider you my best friend” with seemingly no warning, it can be a little difficult to know how to respond in the correct way. Some people take the role of BFF super seriously, while others have a more casual approach to it. When this happens, it’s important to look at the relationship and determine if the best friendship is premature or not before responding.
Is there a way to tell when you’re a BFF?
Sometimes a best friendship can be determined over the amount of time spent together, and other times it might be a result of the depth of the friendship. According to Bustle, things like borrowing clothes, doing each others’ hair, and sharing secrets are some of the most telling signs of a best friendship. Of course every best friendship is different, but the key thing to look out for are those moments of trust and intimacy.
Resources
- You are my best friend: Commitment and stability in adolescents’ same-sex friendships by Susan T. J. Branje et al via the Journal of the International Association for Relationship Research.
- DNA tests prove your close friends are probably distant relatives via Independent.
- How to Find Out Who Your Best Friends Are via WikiHow.
- 21 Ways You Know Someone Is Your Best Friend via Teen Vogue.
Tune in next week for Episode 20: Can Family Be Friends?
Do you have a story about friendship? Good, bad, or ugly — we wanna hear it! Click here to learn more about submitting your story and you might just hear it in a future episode or featured on the blog!
Hosted by Mary Akemon and Sienna Mooney
Produced by Alex Papworth
Music by Max Wallace
Episode illustration by Maddy Vian