Friendship Circles in Adolescent Social Life | 2023

Friendship Circles in Adolescent Social Life

Authors :
Nia Auliya Sari ¹, Naqiyya Zaahiya Kusuma ², Tatu Zakiyatun Nufus ³
Psychology faculty of UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta, Indonesia

Abstract
The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of friendship circles on teenagers' lives, particularly
focusing on the positive and negative influences of peer groups. The study is motivated by the recognition
that adolescence is a critical period of rapid personal growth and development, and the circle of friendship
plays a significant role in shaping individuals' social and emotional well-being. The research problem is to
understand how friendship circles can either positively or negatively affect teenagers' lives, with a focus on
emotional responses and social interactions. The methodology used is qualitative descriptive, utilizing a
literature review as the primary data collection technique. The results show the positive impact of supportive
and positive friendship circles on individuals' behavior and lifestyle, as well as the potential negative
consequences of being part of a friendship circle based on material possessions or conflicts. The results also
show the importance of friendship circles in maintaining teenagers' social-emotional development. The
implications of the study underscore the need for teenagers to choose their circle of friends carefully, as this
choice can significantly influence their future character and well-being. Overall, the study highlights how
important it is to create supportive and encouraging peer interactions as well as the significant impact that
friendship circles have on teenagers' lives.
Keywords: friendship circles, teenagers, impact, factors, peer groups, positive influence, negative influence.

Introduction
As someone gets older, they will increasingly recognize their heterogeneous and complex
environment towards living together, in society or social life (Budijarto, 2018). Individuals in
the process of interaction will tend to group together and naturally form peer groups based on
similarities, beliefs, behavior or various similar goals. A peer group is a group of individuals
who interact with each other and have similarities ranging from the same age, mindset,
interests and level of development (Situmorang, 2018). The patterns of interaction and
influence that occur within a peer group will form a social circle or social circle with a unique
friendship circle pattern (Suhaida, Hos, & Ambo, 2018).

In everyday life, of course we are familiar with the term circle. In slang, circle has a special
meaning. The meaning of circle is the closest circle of friends. It can also be interpreted as a
friendship group, a group of friends, or a limited circle of friends. It is called limited because
this circle or circle of friends usually has similarities between the people in it, such as the
same hobbies, preferences or profession.

As we already know, circles of friends have a positive impact on social life, but unfortunately
not all circles of friends have a positive impact on our social life. This research was conducted
to find out the impact of friends' circles on teenagers' lives because adolescence is a time
when a person's physical, psychological and intellectual growth and development increases
rapidly.

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Literature review
1. The Definition of Friendship
a. According to Arianto (in Jonathan et al., 2022), friendship is several individuals
who communicate with each other and establish close relationships so that over
time they are able to create a sense of mutual understanding, mutual respect,
mutual acceptance, and mutual support for each other.
b. (Gao et al., 2014) A friendship is a social bond filled with support, trust, and
affection between two or more individuals. It is a voluntary relationship built on
common ideals, experiences, and interests.

2. How Do Friendship Form

a. (Sejati et al., 2023) stated that friendships can be formed due to factors of
similarity between individuals, such as shared hobbies, frequent communication,
and mutually beneficial assistance.
b. (Yan et al., 2022) mentioned in his journal some of the factors that made
friendship;
1. Individual Social Attributes
The way someone acts, the characteristics they possess, and their level
of self-confidence can influence how their relationships are formed.
For example, if they are calm, kind, or have strong self-confidence, it
can be easier for them to find a partner. Consequently, this factor
implies that a person's character and inner strength are crucial in
building a strong bond with their companion.
2. Selective Mixing
Some people prefer to make friends with people who are similar to
them (assorted mixture), while others prefer to be friends with
someone who is different from them (disassortative mixing).
3. The Network Structure
This means a friend's friend has a tendency to be a friend too. For
example, if A is a friend of B, and B is a friend of C, then most likely
A will be a friend of C as well. This phenomenon is called the "closure

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of the triad" which indicates that friendship is often formed through a

network of existing friends. So, how people connect with each other in
social groups can play an important role in the formation of friendship.
4. Popularity and Activity
People who are more popular or influential within a group tend to be at
the center of a network of friendships. If someone is popular or has
high social skills, they may be the central figure that many people want
to be friends with. The effect of activity also suggests that people who
are active or engaged in various social activities can have a greater
influence in forming friendships. So, popularity and activity can play
an important role in determining a person's position in a network of
friendships.
5. Comprehensive Process
Developing friendships is a variety process. It depends on more than
just a person's personality traits; it also depends on how they interact
and create natural relationships, and it is influenced by the role that the
entire social structure plays in the process. Building friendships is
therefore a complicated process with many related elements.

Methodology
The research method used in this scientific article is qualitative descriptive with data
collection techniques through the study of literature. In conducting literature studies, the
authors gather various sources of information related to research topics from various
references such as books, scientific journals, and other related documents, so that it can be
used as a strong foundation in the discussion.

Result and finding

A close group of individuals or what can also be called a circle of friends is a relationship in
which there is pleasure, trust, mutual support, attention and spontaneity shown by individuals.
Also mentioned by Arianto (in Jonathan et al., 2022), friendship is several individuals who
communicate with each other and establish close relationships so that over time they are able
to create a sense of mutual understanding, mutual respect, mutual acceptance, and mutual
support for each other.

It is also stated in (Amir et al., 2020) that friendship has an impact on individual behavior and
lifestyle. When you have a group of friends who behave well, there is a big possibility that
someone will behave well too, and vice versa.

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Having maturity in establishing friendly relationships with other individuals, including peers,
is important during the adolescent development period, which is generally described as a
period free from direction from parents. (Pratiwi & Satiningsih, 2022) Aristotle (350 BC), a
political and social expert, stated how important close relationships with friends are as a
self-reference in understanding and appreciating the interests of others and seeking agreement
and common ground between differences (Hudson et al., 2022).

The three subjects who were interviewed by researchers shared stories about their
experiences of having wider relationships after having close friends. They feel a good or
positive influence from the existence of this friendship group. Even one of the subjects who
was initially indifferent to what was happening in his environment, became more concerned
because of the new perspective provided by his close friend.

Positive friendships will certainly ensure that teenagers' social-emotional development is

maintained, but if it is the opposite, it can cause several problems that disturb teenagers'
emotions, one of which is this circle, which at this time circles are not only determined by a
sense of compatibility but also based on material things.

for example gadgets, fashion, the same lifestyle used by a circle of friends makes teenagers
feel inferior, insecure, and feel unworthy of being friends with a circle of friends because they
don't have anything in common, namely the lifestyle in a circle, apart from lifestyle and
material things that influence friendship, there are other things others, for example conflicts or
a teenager who is not allowed to enter a circle of friends, even if they have entered and there
are problems in a circle, a teenager can be expelled indirectly by the circle of friends which
makes the teenager experience a negative emotional response due to the social environment.
especially at school.

Not being treated well in a circle of friends will certainly have an impact on teenagers' lives
and the social environment around them.

Conclusion
From the research above, it can be concluded that friendship circles have a very big impact on
the future of teenagers, because depending on what circle they often hang out with, it could
have a big influence on their character in the future.

A good circle of friends should make us become more positive, smarter people and people
who are steadfast and faithful. For this reason, you should be smart in assessing a circle of
friends before hanging out with them.

Despite all these problems, there are still some teenagers and adults who do not have a circle
throughout their lives. Actually, it's okay if you prefer to be alone because that's what you
want, but if we had a circle of friends, our life would be easier because in a good circle, your

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friends will definitely support each other in times of difficulty. and relieves your stress, makes
you have better habits for the future, and can also improve both your physical and mental
health.

References

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