The 7 Friends Theory: Lucky Number 7

I recently wrote a blog on the importance of teaching our kids to find balance in their social spheres through the HIPS of friendships: Honesty – Individual Growth – Positivity – Seasonal.  In it, I reference research indicating that most friendships last an average of only 7 years.  

Today, I came across a new theory, the “7 Friends Theory”, amassing over 10.9 million views on Tik Tok since January (2023).  

According to this theory, our social sphere is in a good place when we have the following 7 types of friends in our lives: 

1. A childhood friend 
2. A friend that makes you laugh
3. A friend you don’t need to check in on every day
4. A friend you can tell anything to
5. A friend that’s like a sister
6. A friend you can’t imagine not being friends with 
7. A friend that knows about all your relationships 

The theory isn’t scientifically proven, but to me, it makes 100% sense.  The theory sure is making people feel good and isn’t that what life is about! 

Our social circles have been proven to have an immediate impact on our mental and physical spheres.  In fact, the connection between our social spheres and mortality has been the subject of research for decades.

I believe to thrive in an isolating, competitive and simply tough world, it’s critical to have connections with people that provide varying degrees of closeness. Regardless of our age, it’s also important to develop multifaceted friendships, inviting diverse people into our lives to broaden our minds and outlook. 

We hear constantly that you can count your true friends on one hand.  So, what do we do with these extra two friends we are supposed to have now?  Well, looking at the list above, I have two friends that take up two spots… to me, that’s pretty special. 

True friends are a treasure. In fact, one of my “roots” (you know who you are!) sent the below photo to me recently.

While we teach our kids how to maneuver through friendships and relationships, try sharing the “7 Friends Theory” with them as a checklist to determine the strength of their social sphere.  As a result, I think it will help us as parents as well!