The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has robbed us of almost everything we held sacred. For months, life has resembled a Snakes and Ladders board, as numbers of COVID-19 cases, lockdown restrictions, and our mental health situations have fluctuated. By now, we have come to accept that social plans and monetary savings will fall by the wayside for the foreseeable future. What we hadn’t envisaged, however, was that our friendships would suffer as a result of the health crisis.
I have always counted myself fortunate to have an abundance of friends. They’re my soundboards after a challenging day at work. Their voices over the phone are the breadcrumbs I follow as I trudge to work in the morning, and the companions that comfort me as I drive home alone at night. It’s thanks to them that my iPhone calendar has long resembled a pin cushion, populated with dots representing months of drink dates, dinners, and weekends away.
According to The Friendship Report, commissioned in partnership with Protein Agency—which polled 10,000 nationally representative people between ages 13 to 75 in India, Australia, France, Germany, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, the UK, and the US—Indians have six best friends on an average. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case for everyone. A YouGov poll last year found that a quarter of people in Great Britain have no-one they can call a ‘best friend’, and nearly one in eight admit to having no friends at all (this is up from one in 10 just five years ago).
This story is from the December 2020 edition of Cosmopolitan India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the December 2020 edition of Cosmopolitan India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
The New Masculine
Gender is a construct; but one that invariably factors into attraction. In a 2024 world where the scope of gender is more multifarious than ever, what does it mean to be 'masculine'?
How To Make The Most Of The Meta-Universe...And Thrive Unscathed In It
Natasha Jog-Head, Public Policy, Instagram, Facebook India (Meta)-lists the company's safety measures, and tells us how to make our favourite apps work in our favour.
What's Dating Like In 2024?
Here's some swipe right moments that caught Cosmo intern Serchen Chokyi off guard.
Is Making Yourself Sad The Ultimate Happiness Hack?
Dopamine fasts are being touted as the cure to bad habits and low mood...But does the science really stack up? Morgan Fargo puts it to the test.
Do Women Make Better Leaders Than Men?
Psychologists, women entrepreneurs, their male counterparts, and a human resources expert weigh in.
Living the dream
From planning their start-up and building the right team to successfully marketing their brand, these entrepreneurs will teach you a thing or two about taking care of a business.
I was sober, now I'm not.I feel...weird about it?
After more than a year of being teetotal, Jennifer Savin found herself with a glass of red. Her emotions have been *complex*
VEDANG RAINA WIRED TO WIN
Actor Vedang Raina opens up to Cosmo India Editor Pratishtha Dobhal about his love for music and cinema, his passion for the arts, and why he chooses to live in the moment.
Pixels to pearls
Is 3D printing the next big thing in the jewellery landscape?
One jacket, four ways
Cosmo India challenged top-tier celebrity stylists to turn muse for us as they showcased their unmatched personal style with one common designer ensemble. Class in session, people!