Not socializing with friends for a long time, is that bad?

[Carson]

I am in a stage in my life where I don't converse a lot with my close friends from high school and elsewhere. I mostly catch myself chatting with online friends more these days. Idk, I guess it could be because most of my irl friends are married, have kids, and jobs. They have a life. But I don't even text half of them about how things are going, or to ask them how they are. Is that bad? They don't seem to stay in touch with me all that much either, so idk. 

I feel like we don't need to always talk to be friends. What are your thoughts?

[Emma]

I lost touch with most of the people I was "friends" with in my teens. People moved, mature at different rates, and grow apart. I don't think it is bad. You aren't at the stage of marriage or having kids so your lifestyle will not mesh with theirs. 

[Rachel]

I'm in the same boat. I get anxiety thinking about talking with old friends I haven't talked to in years. Maybe it's a combination of not wanting to socialize that much or the fact that we'd be talking about each others lives and I don't like doing that. We all grow apart from friends. But the best friends usually stay friends forever. 

Edited September 12, 2021 by Rachel

[Ella]

I speak with no one I was friends with just 10 years ago. I know it can seem bad but you have to consider that people change as they grow older. I have a friend in my husband, we have grown close to a few couples that he met through work, we enjoy spending time with one of our neighbors. You always make new friends. 

[James]

As time moves on people will grow apart if we do not stay in touch. 

This is only bad if you do not want to grow apart. If you want to stay in touch though you will make an effort to communicate with these friends of the past. 

As life progresses you will meet new people and meet new friends along the way. 

I think we lose touch with people because we slowly change the way we live overtime. So new people we meet that we get along with will likely feel closer then those long lost friends from the past since there will be closer value alignment with the new people we are meeting. 

This sounds like the natural progression of life. If you want to maintain contact make sure it is something that you do. If you do not feel it is important it is always fine to let things drift away.