Why It's Totally Normal When You and Your Friends Drift Apart

Thanks for explaining, science!

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Few things are as rough as parting ways with a friend. It's awkward when you pass her in the halls at school, and it hurts when she ignores your texts. But according to a new study, drifting apart from your friends is a 100 percent normal part of life. Sure, it's painful, but it happens to everyone — there's no reason to feel alone. 

Scientists tracked 410 teens from seventh grade to senior year to follow what happened to their friendships. It turns out that just one percent of friendships formed in seventh grade were still intact five years later. This statistic affected everyone equally, no matter the students' gender, ethnicity, or popularity. Everyone lost friends, because it's just an unfortunate part of life.

There's no need to panic, though. Here's the good news: Scientists found that pairs of friends who were very similar (for examples, two girls who are the same age, hang out with the same group of people, and get approximately the same grades in school) were in the clear. Those friendships are for life. And your oldest friendships — the people you've known since you were in diapers — are likely to stay intact, too. 

This study proves that it's completely normal to switch up friend groups year after year. It's just a part of growing up. So when you find a friend who's by your side no matter what, know that you've stumbled across someone who's truly one in a million.

MORE: 11 Signs You and Your Bestie Are BFFs for Life

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