A few weeks ago, I had lunch with one of my best friends at McDonald’s. We talked about a lot of things to catch up since we were both busy at work. We talk about our other friends. As they are? What are they up to? Do we still communicate with them? Unfortunately, the answer depends on social networks. We are updated by what they publish. From time to time, my best friend and I would check our phones. At some point, we were quiet and not talking to each other because of the other people online who are also online at the moment. When I was done, I put my phone down but she didn’t. So I ate my fries and looked around. And there they are, all the same. A father holds his daughter while he talks to someone on the phone. A bunch of girls who seemed like they didn’t know each other after taking too many selfies, now editing photos and choosing which one will get the most likes on Facebook and those old ladies who kept talking and laughing out loud about something funny in the past. At that moment, I was reminded of the Gary Turks poem titled “Look Up.”

I took a step back and opened my eyes,

I looked around and realized

That this medium that we call social is anything but

When we open our computers, and it is our doors that we close.

Turk pointed out the negative effects of social media in a very creative way. But he made it clear on his YouTube channel that he has nothing against it, “this movie is about the moments we cast over real connections and experiences.”

As of January 2016, around 2.2 billion people around the world are active users of social media, as conducted by the Global Web Index. In this plugged in world, making friends is just a click away. The question is, are they really your friends? And if so, how are you? Social media made it easy for us to connect and reconnect with our family, relatives, and friends. But the quality of relationships is at risk. A study by Robin Dunbar, Professor of Psychology at the University of Oxford, shows that only a few friends can be counted on online during difficulties (4.1%), while the other so-called friends (13.6%) they only send their compassion through text messages and others. courier flat shapes. He also coined the term Dunbar number. It is a theory in which it is stated that a person can only maintain 150 stable relationships throughout his life.

Case in point: Maintaining friendships across so many mediums is a challenge. But this may be a friendship test after all. If you are concerned about the status of your friendship with someone in particular. It can help to take some time to think about it because ending a relationship is complicated. Since friendship is mostly based on communication, here are some questions to ask yourself before breaking up with your friends.

1. Do I get excited or irritated by my friends’ posts?

This could be a sign that the two of you have drifted apart. The things that you once liked or shared together are no longer of interest to both of you. And even if they do meet again, it’s not the same.

2. Secretly rant about our friendship?

If you are doing this, you are not communicating well with each other. Misunderstanding can happen at any time. Don’t let it ruin your relationship. If your friend keeps posting and tagging to make you feel humiliated or betrayed, speak up.

3. Shall we meet face to face?

Staying connected online is not the same as having conversations in person. You can detect if a friend is sincere or not when you are together.

4. Am I the only one in this friendship who is trying to make it work?

Friendship is between people and not a relationship with yourself. If you tried to get through with no response or worse, seen in zones, maybe he/she was done before you knew it.

To get my best friend’s attention, I sarcastically told her in a higher tone than usual to stop. She stopped and we continued talking. We don’t take pictures of our day or post anything online so the world can see that we are really good friends and having fun together that day. We keep the balance of using social media and our friendship. And if you’re considering ending things with her best friend, you might want to think twice. Breakups are not easy after investing a lot of yourself in your friendship. Remember, social networks and friendship are a perfect combination to revive relationships before they disappear.