IN TOUCH

In this new age of digitized communication, there are so many ways to talk online. Whether catching up with a friend who moved away, commenting on how good someone looks in their latest Instagram post, or whatever the case may be, there are multiple ways to keep up. But what are we as social humans to do when the digital world becomes our only means of communication with the friends we love the most? How are we supposed to show them we care through the screen?

Here’s a few quick tips to keep your friendships intact and your social heart full :

1. Take pictures of your everyday life to send to them. Find beauty in the mundane! Keeping people in the loop of your life doesn’t have to only include the high points. You can send them texts about it, Snapchats, or even use apps like BeReal, which notifies you at a specific time each day to share a picture of whatever activity you’re currently doing with your friends on the app. Making sure people are updated on your daily life can be just as important for retaining friendships as being there for the big stuff. 2. Send them funny things you find online! It’s amazing how many friendships you can sustain solely through sharing memes and TikToks. Let them know you’re thinking about them even though you aren’t physically present. There’s no telling what a little “This reminded me of you” text can do for someone’s day. It’s like a modern day love language.

3. Write them letters. A hand-written letter is so sentimental for so many people. It shows a level of care and thoughtfulness that screens just don’t convey sometimes. It doesn’t have to be some long, drawn-out letter, either. Much like the last tip, a simple “I was just thinking about you and thought I’d say ‘hello’!” should suffice. Just letting people know you care is so important in a time where physical presence in a friendship is not guaranteed.

“LIsten to people. care for them. love them well.”

4. FaceTime/video chat with them. As cheesy as it seems sometimes, just seeing the faces of your friends can brighten both your day and theirs. Show off new home decor or clothing, laugh about old memories, catch up on each other’s day– do whatever you want! Just checking up on people you don’t get to see physically is so important. Which leads us to the next tip…

5. Check in on them! Even just periodically. Maybe once a week or month, or maybe even every other month, just send them a quick “How have you really been recently?” text. It may seem like prying at first, but so many people really enjoy just knowing that someone is taking your mental health into account. They may not have anybody else to talk about their deeper feelings with, so it’s nice to check in on friends to make sure they’re doing alright when you can’t be there for them physically. These tips are great, and they do make a huge difference, but the best tip I can give is this– no matter how you’re interacting, make sure the time you spend with those closest to you is intentional. In an age where your closest relationships can be moved online so quickly, you want to make sure the time you do get to spend with people you love is time that is worth sharing. Listen to people. Care for them. Love them well. Even if it’s through a screen. That’s easily the best way to keep your friendships intact.

STYLIST: CARSON MILLER PHOTOGRAPHER: MICHELLE DASCHBACH WRITER: SADIE OGLETREE MODELS: BEBE RAYBORN, LOGANN BROWN, SHELBY FREEMAN