TIPS TO OVERCOME THE STRESS OF MAKING NEW FRIENDS THIS SCHOOL YEAR

GOING back to school doesn’t look the same for everyone.

- BERNELEE VOLLMER

THERE'S real pressure around making new friends, finding where you fit in, and worrying about being accepted - offline and online.

(Freepik)

Some kids are lucky, they walk into the same school they've known forever, waving to familiar faces and slipping back into old routines. Others are starting fresh at a new school, joining a new class, trying to find their footing.And then there are the ones stepping into high school for the very first time, the big leagues, where education suddenly feels more serious and friendship politics feel way more complicated.

For me, which was over 10 years ago (millennials, please stand up), it wasn't too difficult. My primary school crew all went to the same high school with me, so that first day felt like a continuation of the same story.

Until suddenly, it wasn’t. By the end of the first term, we were in different circles, discovering new sides of ourselves and gravitating toward different people. Friendships change. It's normal. But it still stung.

Making friends has always been tricky, but modern times have made it even more complicated. It’s not enough to be funny, kind or smart. Today, teens are constantly judged by their online presence, follower counts, likes and who tags who, where.

Social media can make it feel like you need 10 000 likes on a selfie or thousands of followers just to be “friend-worthy” or considered for a clique, and if your posts don’t measure up? Suddenly, forming new connections feels impossible.

It’s not just a minor stress. There's real pressure around making new friends, finding where you fit in, and worrying about being accepted - offline and online.