How high-quality friendship supports teen well-being

Are friends important to teens’ lives? Absolutely.

So, why does the question need more consideration? While some might think the number of friends is most important, what may matter more is the quality of those friendships.

There is no question that friendships help shape adolescent well-being .

As children move into adolescence, friendships often shift from being based on proximity and shared interests to becoming sources of crucial emotional support.

This evolution is especially salient as young people navigate the many social, academic and biological changes associated with being a teen.

Quality versus quantity Unlike friendship quantity (for example, number of friendships), the definition of friendship quality is somewhat more nuanced.

Generally, the quality of friendships considers the broad range of positive and negative experiences and interactions that adolescents have with their friends .

For example, experiences of support, companionship, intimate disclosure and security can occur in the same friendships where people also experience conflict or feel unseen or criticized.

Considering both friendship positivity and negativity allows us to better understand how different types of friendships relate to adolescent well-being.

High-quality friendships, for instance, are described as having high levels of positive qualities and low levels of negative ones.

These friendships are considered optimal because they are most often associated with better social and emotional outcomes for adolescents.

Mere presence may not be enough Other profiles of friendship are possible.

For example, teens can have engaged or “affect-intense” friendships (high positivity and negativity), similar to the classic love-hate sibling relationship .

Though less common, teens may also have low-quality friendships (high negativity, low positivity).