6 Benefits Of Making Friends Of Different Generations

YOGYAKARTA Making broad friendship certainly has many benefits. Likewise, when having friendships between generations. Friendship of different generations is a relationship between people from different age groups. Like Generation Z, Millennials, and Baby Boomers. Differences in age between friends can be between 10-20 years or more. That means everyone grows in different social and cultural conditions. Here are the benefits obtained when making friendship between generations.

Younger people may get a lot of advice from their older friends. The young receive advice on how to deal with the challenges they face in the future. Such as about marriage, financial management, buying a home, and stages of life. According to professor of psychology at Bryn Mawr College, Marc Schulz, Ph.D., young people can get an idea of old age, or the stages of life related to menopause.

For older people, making friends with younger people will open up opportunities to learn about modern new ways of thinking. Schulz said, cross-generational friends allow us to understand why our perspectives and views may be different. By talking to each other and exchanging experiences, it will help expand knowledge with meaningful relationships.

Connected to other people by sharing meaning and knowledge, will provide positive energy. Clinical psychologist Charlynn Ruan, Ph.D. reported by Women's Health, Friday, March 7, said that making friends with people of their age may feel very competitive. When your friend is married, has a home, has a child, you may feel anxious if someone is 'left behind' from the achievements of their peers. However, this pressure does not occur with friends from different generations because they have a different life path.

We may feel changing our personality or behavior because we need to show certain things around our friends, said the licensed social worker Minaa B., LMSW. We may be depressed because we have to follow the trend of fashion, the hobby of peers, or obey cultural norms. But friendship of different generations can create space to be yourself. Because what Generation Z considers trend, may be different from Baby Boomer.

Friendship of different generations can also help pass on cultural traditions and teach young people about cultural knowledge and cultural identity. According to Minaa B., culture is most likely inherited by car aini. Because for people who may not have access to older relatives, they can get it from the friendship of different generations.

All types of friendships, including friendship between generations, are also beneficial for mental health, especially for those who are lonely. People with meaningful friendships tend not to suffer from depression and anxiety. According to research published by Schulz which has been done for 86 years, that having relationships with other people is a predictor for health and psychological well-being.

That's the benefit of making friends in different generations. To get started, it can be done in various ways. Among them are following the classes you are interested in, courses in certain fields, or through social media by sharing positive and meaningful knowledge with each generation.