Big Friendship

As humans, we are all thoroughly shaped by the people we know and love. Day to day, our friends influence our tastes and our moods. Long term, they can also affect how we feel about our bodies, how we spend our money, and the political views we hold. We grow in response to each other, in ways both intentional and subconscious.

In 2015, the researchers Moira Burke and Robert Kraut set out to answer the following question: Does social technology draw us closer to our friends or isolate us? In their review of two studies conducted 15 years apart, they found that the internet’s effect depends on how people use it. The studies measured social support, depression, and other aspects of psychological well-being while also taking into account participants’ internet use. “The more people talked one-on-one, such as writing wall posts or comments, especially with close friends, the more their well-being improved,” Burke and Kraut reported. But the more people looked at strangers’ feeds, without that interaction with friends, the worse they felt.

Race is not a challenge to overcome. It’s something to be constantly aware of.