We ‘friend’ people we met once at a conference, we ‘friend’ our aunt’s neighbor, we ‘friend’ the barista who knows our order but doesn’t know our last name. This isn't friendship; it's a loosely affiliated network of mild acquaintances held together by the digital equivalent of chewing gum and baling wire. Historically, a friend was your literal survival partner. Now, it's someone who might send you a birthday GIF. We’ve taken a sacred covenant and turned it into a participation trophy for basic social interaction. Let's explore how we got here."

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