The topic of friendship is up for discussion more now than ever in this age of social media vs. reality.
The idea that your friends fit into certain categories is something I noticed more during my freshman year of college.
Since being at LSU I’ve met a variety of people, but it feels impossible to do everything with everyone. So, having friend categories allows you to stress less over non-invites.
At this age, you shouldn’t expect an invite to everything. It’s not elementary school, babes; you’re not required to invite the entire class.
Let’s explore the following categories, shall we?
The Everything Friend
Whether you’re having a chill night in, going to a concert, booking a vacation, attending family dinners, hosting Bible Study or running errands, you and this friend can do everything together. An “everything” friend can fit into any of the categories mentioned. Maybe your everything friend was once just a co-worker, class friend or Instagram mutual. The number of friends who fit into this category is usually small, but that’s the point: you can’t do everything with everyone.
The Co-worker Friend
It’s in the name; you work together and probably only know each other because of work. You have a nice rapport but only see each other in the office or at work-related functions. I will say I’ve met some of my current friends at my job, and I’m thankful for them. Nevertheless, I prefer to keep work and play separate. Sometimes, becoming closer than “office buddies” is when lines are crossed, and I would much rather avoid office drama. However, we all know when you see people 24/7, it’s hard not to get close.
The Plus-one Friend
This is the friend you immediately think of when the invite says those two words: plus one. To me, this individual is personable and easygoing, brings good vibes and is a great mingler. They’re just there for a good time and to provide support. Weddings, birthday parties, work events, you name it, you know who you’re calling.
The Long Distance Friend
Now, a long-distance friend is someone who you don’t see often. Whether you live in different places or not, seeing each other is a one-off. You both have busy schedules, but make efforts to plan monthly or yearly meet-ups so you can fill each other in on what’s new. Who are you dating? How’s your job? When are you moving to Paris? Why did you guys break up? When did your brother get married? What made you finally get Botox? Glad to see you haven’t given up on life. You know, all that good stuff.
The Class Friend
This situation is similar to that of a coworker friend because you see each other frequently during the week. You chit-chat and choose each other for group projects but never do anything off campus. These are the people you’re happy to run into, but nine times out of ten, it’s never planned.
The Instagram Friend
You follow them, and they follow you. From liking stories to commenting on pop culture hot takes, you exchange words, likes and compliments in the comments on each other’s posts. It’s a virtual friendship that might have the potential to take the chit-chat from the DMs to a coffee shop, but there’s no pressure to make that a reality.
You’re happy enough with the fact you’re on each other’s close friends’ Instagram stories.
Disclaimer: Any category could evolve into a friendship that is more than surface level. That could take weeks, months, years, who knows. Something to keep in mind: one day, someone could be a stranger and then, before you know it, your greatest friend.
However, I think the term “friend” is used too loosely nowadays; perhaps it always has been. Not everyone is your friend, and not everyone has to be. There are friends you would call during an emergency and friends you wouldn’t.
People can be peers, associates, neighbors, fellow board members and colleagues, not necessarily friends. Depending on the circumstances, it feels weird to ask some people to help you out in a pinch if you’re not close.
For instance, one time, my apartment door was being fixed and could only lock from the inside. Initially, I thought my only options were to go to class with my door unlocked and have the anxiety of someone entering my space or miss my first class of the semester because of this inconvenience.
Fortunately, an “everything friend” of mine came to my rescue that day by house-sitting. I would never ask just anyone to sit in my apartment with access to all of my personal belongings for hours without my presence. Not to mention, that’s a big ask, knowing my friends have busy schedules. So, I was beyond grateful for my everything friend.
Friendships are about trust, supporting one another, uplifting each other and getting through this crazy thing we call life together. Take a look at your friends and ask yourself who are the ones ready to throw back tequila shots with you but are nowhere to be found when life gets real.
At the end of the day, categorizing your friends is another way to set boundaries while eliminating guest list anxiety. Sit back, pull up your contacts and see which categories your friends fall into.
Ava Francis is a 21-year-old journalism major from New Orleans residing in Texas.
