Ask Not What Your Friends Can Do For You

The concept of friendship no doubt has evolved significantly, especially with growing individualism and the influence of digital media on society. Becoming someone’s friend on social media may simply mean a connection that allows one to follow each other’s posts; or it may mean ‘we have a meaningful relationship spanning years through which we seek to care for one another.’ Thus, friendships have arguably moved from proximity-based bonds characterised by intentional presence to digitally mediated relationships, with a very wide spectrum of commitment levels. Could it be that in increasingly individualistic societies, we have lost both the sacredness and the...