Publications
How easy it was when, as a kid, you could just walk up to pretty much any other child in your social circle and ask them if they’d like to be your pal.
There were no preconceptions, no nerves, little fear of being rejected, no hard feelings if things went south – which is probably why it was so easy to do it.
And it’s these very reasons that make it so hard to develop friendships as an adult. Yet as 2020 showed in devastatingly stark terms, we need human connection more than ever – and this includes making new friends. But it isn’t as easy as it was on the playground. In fact, some people in Japan have turned to renting a friend because it’s so hard to do as an adult.
