When thinking of a friend, people tend to think of someone who they’ve known for a long time. It may be a childhood friend or a family friend. 

These friendships help people grow socially and mentally because they’re spending time around someone who knows them better than anyone else. 

While long-term friendships shape your way of life, short-term friendships can stunt your social development and harm your mental health.

According to BetterHelp, an online therapy service, professionals say that the downside to short-term friendships is that the lack of lasting bonds can stunt emotional health.

Throughout my life, I’ve had my fair share of both. My long-term friendships consistently pop back into my mind, even years later, while my short ones don’t.

My friendship with my best friend from middle school ended shortly after we started high school. Even now, a year later, I still think about the memories we had together.

Even though shorter friendships can cause someone to grow as a person or try new things, they don’t help create intimate and lasting connections.

These types of connections are essential to development, especially in children, as they help them grow the ability to form bonds and effectively communicate.

According to the Jan Peterson Child Development Center, specialists say that the friendships made during childhood, especially in high developmental periods, help children develop social skills.

My childhood best friend helped me grow physically and emotionally. She was a family friend. When I learned to walk, it was because she helped me. 

When short-term friendships end, they can impact mental health the same way that long-term relationships do.

When my past friendships ended, it hurt. Long or short, it didn’t matter. The pain caused by the end of friendships isn’t diminished by the time frame.

Considering the evidence that short-term friendships inhibit social development, it’s worth it to spend the time creating lasting friendships instead of filling time with short ones.