Will you be my friend? - Finding a BFF isn’t so easy in the modern world

A best-selling book followed one woman’s year-long search for friendship in a new city. Her verdict? It isn’t easy to find a BFF as an adult, writes Rita de Brun

EVEN adults need new friends. But often when we connect with someone shyness prevents us suggesting another meeting. Busy lives cause us to neglect friends, and then we feel guilt and isolation, says Sligo psychologist, Shane Martin: “There was a time when Irish people left their back doors open and were happy to see uninvited visitors, but those days have gone.

“Now, we’re so stressed that we’re raging when friends call unexpectedly, and when we see them coming we’re tempted to turn off the kitchen lights and pretend we’re not at home. The greatest friend of depression is solitude. We have to fight that, because inner contentment and mental health are hugely influenced by social connectedness.”