u/GreatHelmsmanSpencee

I really hate this idea that adults 'dont have the time' to hang out or see their friends. The portion of the population that actually doesn't have the time for socializing is significantly smaller than it's often presented. If you have friends that live somewhat locally, it would be quite easy to see your friend for even just an hour or two every few weeks. Even if you have young children and a very busy work life, at some point in those two weeks the vast majority of people will have a couple of hours free. While working conditions and hours are rough for many people, the idea that people have literally no free time has become a convenient excuse/lie to justify the free time they're spending 'unwinding' 'relaxing' which in the current context just means sedating themselves with Netflix shows and reels they will forget about the instant they end. A little effort could turn a Netflix couch session into a catch up with a long time friend, even if it's just over the phone. But people don't want to do this because it's easier to plunge into escapism and forget you're alive for a few hours and trick yourself into thinking this behavior is normal, that it reflects how 'adult' you are, that the only way to unwind after working hard is to completely turn your mind and body off. Add a little bit of taking your friends for granted and you have someone who will, in a decade or so, be wondering why they don't have any friends anymore. If you have time to binge a show or doom scroll for hours, you have time to maintain your friendships. Make an effort or don't complain when you have nobody outside of your family to talk to one day.