the complicated state of gen z friendships (2025)
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- Опубліковано 7 лют 2025
- Navigating Friendships in 2025 Feels Impossible
Friendship used to be simple. You met people at school, bumped into someone at work, or got introduced through mutuals. Now? It feels like friendships exist more in group chats than in real life. Conversations happen over texts that get left on read for days. You make a new friend, but instead of seeing them weekly, you just watch their life unfold on Instagram stories.
We live in a time where it’s easier than ever to connect but harder than ever to feel connected.
Over the years, I’ve caught myself thinking…
“Why do I feel lonelier even though I talk to people every day?”
“Why do my friendships feel so surface-level?”
“Am I overthinking, or is it actually harder to make and keep friends now?”
The truth?
Gen Z friendships are just complicated.
Between social media, shifting social norms, and a culture that glorifies independence, friendships now come with a unique set of struggles. Ghosting has become normal. Friendships feel disposable. The pressure to constantly be entertaining or “worth keeping around” makes it hard to just be. And when most interactions happen online, it’s easy to feel like you have friends-but no one to actually call when you need someone.
In this video, I dive into the reality of navigating friendships in a digital age. I talk about why it feels harder than ever to make real connections, why we struggle with maintaining friendships, and how social media has changed the way we define closeness.
So if you’ve ever felt like friendships now are way more complicated than they should be-this one’s for you. Let’s talk about why, and what we can actually do about it.
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They are always people hating you for no reason
Bruh
Some of them are so bad that you can even agree with them on something yet they’ll still act bitter in some way.
@@ChristinaAaliyahI really really like you you’re my best friend ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
@@ChristinaAaliyahyou’re very pretty
@@ChristinaAaliyahI’m 32 I’m too old for your content but I still love your videos anyway
One of the biggest issues is probably that you need a bit of luck to meet someone that you're very compatible with, and you need to both be willing to show it, making friends doesn't need to be hard but I get that for people who have been out of social environment for a while it seems impossible
This is why im 28 and past 10 years I've had zero friends. ... happy in my own company i care about money & other things as i get older
Liking your own company is such an important skill ❤
I wouldn’t recommend being friends with someone who is jealous of you. If you can make it work, you can make it work. My experience is different, when my best friend told me she was jealous of me it ruined our entire friendship. She didn’t get nicer after that she started to treat me worse and worse until i couldn’t take it anymore.
15:45 having friends is part sharing your feelings and hardships, part showing up for each others accomplishments and hardships, part having fun, part growing up, and part holding each other accountable. It’s a relationship just like family, except it’s chosen. They’re important for us to live long and healthy lives because without them, who do we have? Not many others. Don’t let anyone make you a place holder. If you’re going to give kindness to others know when to walk away when it’s not being reciprocated.
I’m always someone’s “best friend” when it comes to them venting to me. Otherwise, it’s very seldom ppl call me just to check in or to have conversations on future plans. I don’t mind the venting but if it’s ALL you do, uhn uhn. I want my friends to choose me when it’s time to have a good time (while leaving the BS at home).
slaying so hard congrats on 100 k : )
THANK YOU
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR 100,000 SUBS ❤️❤️❤️❤️😭😭 What the heck!!
Congratulations on that many subs! You deserve it. Thank you for making such relatable content.
You deserve it 😊. Personally I have ADHD and u have helped me a lot
🎉🎉🎉🎉
Sometimes after a very intense communication you stop writing or initiating things with them and… they just disappear 😶🌫️
Rightt the online people i text to are like this sometimes. They dont text back or dont text me when im not reaching for them first and a possible friendship gets lost. And this sucks
I had best friend in my school day that was “ bad friend”. For 5 years I was used to hearing her saying bad things about me and most things that I did. Firstly I thought that it’s just her way of joking. But later on she was even meaner about what I wear how I look… now when I think about her she complimented me only once. At the end of our friendship I for once said ‘no’ to what she was saying about me and she stopped talking to me. Now I thank God that this friendship ended. Still the trauma was so terrible that for many years I stopped believing in friendship. Right now I have one friend and some people that I talk from time to time and it’s really hard for me to fully open to another person.
Im so happy for your achievement!!
Thank you I’m getting emosh 🥹
That why I go by, “make money, not friends”! 💵🤑💵
A best friend never lasts forever
Yes, they exist but every phase of your life needs a different best friend, someone with new views and opinions. That’s why you need to choose each of them wisely
This doesn’t mean you don’t love them, it means they cannot be forever :(
Heartbreaking realisation. I hope my next best friend will be for a long time but after just losing my first proper one, I realise this well.
i don’t totally understand the idea that a girl is living a double life because she’s more likely to talk about her feelings with someone she knows (you) vs not telling strangers she’s having a hard time?
I have ONE best friend. Her and I are very busy but when we do see each other, its always so much fun and she's always there for me when I need her. I hear my coworkers talk about their friends and it seems like they have a competition, rather than a friendship. Its a shame. Im glad I stay away from that toxic drama.
I just entered college and be friend with this type of insecure girl. I was all good at first but then boom, it strikes! If a teacher asking a question, i try to discuss with her and she just told my answer and get credits. I was like okay , no big deal. I try to take part in extracurricular she stop me. I ask what dress is looking better before going to fest and she told, but then at venue she is the one making fun of it. She started to hang out with the so called "cool" kids who smokes and drunk all the time. I was totally against it. But she take me there and tell them how boring i was. She wanted me to follow her everywhere. I took part in a ramp walk against her will and she started buffering since then. Now, she is the most annoying shit. She would come talk to me and then act like ignoring me. Any person i talk to in college is suddenly in her group the very next day and also start ignoring me. I don't want i fight with anyone bcz i have 5 more semesters here. I just sit alone seeing everyone in their individual group. It feel like it's too late to enter any other circle. I'm mentally exhausted rn.
Girl you talk about everything I had a breakdown about in the last month lol love you
let it out girl, i hope you feel better
@ChristinaAaliyah Haha thank you, makes me feel weird less tbh ☺️❤️
Ik out of context BUT YOU'RE SO GORGEOUS omgg 🫶🏻🫶🏻
This is another really good video, thank you so much
You’re so welcome
@@ChristinaAaliyah 😭you always make my day posting a video
I have been dealing with a lot of the things you talked about currently with two different friends. One of them only wants to hangout if theres something to vent about yet they go ghost whenever plans or actual activities are asked about.
One of my other friends has shown me just how condescending and egotistical they really are. This person belittles me if I don't agree with an opinion they have and will make frequent statements like, "I'm smarter than everyone," yet when they are called on their shit, they try to gaslight their way out of it.
I thought it was uncommon to deal with people like this, but now that I've seen your video, it feels good to know im not alone.
I’m the same. I don’t like to confront ppl, ESPECIALLY if the things I want to confront them about keeps piling up. Like we’re adults, so you doing something to me that you wouldn’t like done to you, seems purposeful. I also don’t want to keep nagging at a person, making them feel bad for being who they are. Once again, we’re fully developed adults so you’re less likely to change your ways. I don’t want to parent my partner, nor my friends. Come into the relationship with the standard of mutual respect and care.
congrats on 100K Christina!! well-deserved!! can't wait to see more of your future content!
i have a friend that i tell nothing to cause of their tendency to get so jealous to the point i’m pushed to tears over the guilt 😭
As a now 29 year old man who's friendless for the longest time, I noticed throughout the video how friendship is more problematic in the female side than there is male. Yeah, safe to say, girls and women are highly antagonistic to each other. Always have been since the beginning of time. I've been noticing, not too long, how girl's girl has been nothing more than a facade. They may act cool with one another, when in reality, they're really not. Behind every interaction is jealousy, envy, insecurity, hatred and hostility. They never really like each other from the start. They all hate each other. They can be so catty, gossipy and passive-aggressive to one another each and every time. It's downright frightening. I see this happening a lot throughout my entire life. Not to mention how there is always this one girl hanging with a group of guys. Yep, for females, there's always competition.
For me, I had more acquaintances than friends. I mean, I hungout with a few in the past, but that was it. I guess it's good that I opted to no longer bother making friendships because why should I? It's honestly better to have few to no company than to have a gazillion fake people. Guess I am just too good for them.
Nah, that's true among toxic females. Their stories are loud but in the minority. I'm 28 and would not be half of the woman i am without my female friends
No. That is TOO INACCURATE. I have female friends and we are nothing like that to each other, I would never treat someone I consider a friend in such a manner Saying that ALL female friendships are fake and that we all secretly hate each other is just very inaccurate 💀💀
The generalization is too loud and too wrong...ALL catty, ALL secretly hate each other💀💀what?💀😭
I just love you and your channel so much. I’m a year below you, first gen Nigerian, look similar to you and I also have similar personality to you like it’s so crazy because I’ve been looking for a UA-camr I can depend on and relate to and you have been that so keep being great!
The timing of this video-
13:29 Speaking from experience: I think that people tend to ghost or cut off their friends rather than confronting them because in that sort of situation, the person being confronted just gets defensive and doubles down. Most of the time, the issue is a difference between the two that can't be reconciled without one forcibly "changing" the other, so confrontation will just escalate the situation to a point where the relationship is irreparably damaged. I'm in the USA though, so it could just be a cultural difference - I'd imagine we're a bit more confrontational than the UK.
Only have participated in a single friend group in my life and they shunned me after multiple faux pas and descending mental health.
Just seeing the inner circle was beautiful even if I wasn’t friends with them. They found it easy to block and forget me in spite of my activity trying to connect.
A lot of times too, someone is trying to treat you well, and you just have different expectations. I've cared a lot about people who were then like wow, you're so mean. And it was confusing to me, because if *I* thought it was mean, I wouldn't have done it. I couldn't even guess. If someone is hurting your feelings they might not even realize, you've got to tell them.
I know this maybe weird and random but I think you are very beautiful and the intelligence is like a bonus to that. Don’t let anyone make you feel like you are less because you aren’t with the weird stuff this gen is on.
Sincerely
A fellow introvert!
Guys lets get her to 200k subscribers
How do you move on and stop thinking about the past mistakes you've made in friendships whilst still learning from them and knowing what not to do again
I love you sooo much, and I see you going places ❤️❤️. Just thought to drop this over here.
please make a video on how to get over situationships pls pls really need that
Focus on yourself.
Hmmm this is a good idea
Hmmm this is a good idea
Girls be hating me for NO reason lol😅
2:14 yes me I let it slide. What can I possibly do?
8:00 I’ve never been jealous :)
Bro EGO is such a big problem, like I have a friend, and our humour is literally the same, but like she's very egoistic and rude.. like she calls me "timid" and says that "you can't even talk to anyone" and all typical things shy people have to hear, but if I jokingly call her "dumb", even if I make it obvious that I'm joking; she's offended... [context: I get 1st poaition in our class] so she thinks I'm flexing my "intelligence" but if she calls me "coward", it fine because it's true..?
Congrats on 100k Christina
I have a video idea that might be of interest; Whats your opinion on dating in the past in comparison to dating now?
No cus I have this friend rn, she makes fun of everyone for like literally everything but at the same time she seems sweet with me sometimes??? So one day, i told her an insecurity of mine and at the start, she tried to convince me that it was beautiful and stuff. THEN, one day we were with our other friend and we were roasting eachother as a JOKE... I only said somethinf about the gap in betweem her teeth (which she didnt rlly have so i js made up) AND THEN SHE GOES AND ATTACKS MY INSECURITY?? Excuse me, then, she also attacked friend 2 saying something abt her parents not loving her and that rlly fcking hurts cus friend 2 doesnt have the best relationship w her mom.
BUT LIKE IM ALSO ENVIOUS OF HER LOOKS AND GRADES??? IM SO CONFLICTED WITH MYSELF. Like i cant really control how i feel about her yk? and rn my comparison w her is better, but how i coped w the comparison isn't so great, because i js think about her mean personality.
Oh yeah I totally get the conflicted feelings you have, on one side you are envious and on the other you noticed how “toxic” she behaves. Maybe you just realised how not so “perfect” she was and that it wasn’t worth feeling so envious because she didn’t “inspire” you as much because of the way she used your insecurity against you?
But I know it’s pretty basic but usually people that make fun of others or gossip about others, they also probably gossip and all behind your back too, or they definitely will. (Talking from experience cuz my friends did that not long ago and I thought several months before “naaaah they wouldn’t do that.. ? OH YES THEY WILL.” )
Anyway hope this helped !
@@KooklilacLIN YES TYSM! You're helping me understand how i feel better :)
@Harryismysavior glad I could help
Friends that are jealous of the other are bad friends, cuz they are actual narcissists always having the "i am better than you" Or "you are better than me" Feeling like not wanting the "friend" To have something you have which is a very bad friendship overall
l think these toxic/jelous people are super hard to detect. When someone tells you it is quite obvious but l had friendships where although there was bullying my friend seemed to have a sassy personality. l know l should have probably pointed out if l didn't like her attitude and comments on me but l didn't wanted to seem like a sensitive person and just played along tho it drained my energy like a lot. l don't talk to her anymore tho l see her time to time in school and l still don't know if she was a bad person or not
Just some advice. You should have an outro so people have time to click on your other videos! So often I go to click another video of yours and the video ends and UA-cam starts queuing someone else’s :)
Is it really hard for women to be friends or like each other. Dudes become friends for life over just one beer. Why do women hate each other so much? I see this shit at work too like it’s not that serious 😭😭😭
heyyy first one
can you tone down the retention editing please? i liked some of your older videos but the sweeps and hooks are doing too much
What do you use for your thumbnails? CapCut?? They’re awesome
Thank you! Photoshop :)
@ thanks! 🙏
i would give YOU the male attention (pls don't cancel me)
Lol girls always get jelly
Fml
i don’t totally understand the idea that a girl is living a double life because she’s more likely to talk about her feelings with someone she knows (you) vs not telling strangers she’s having a hard time?
thats what i was thinking