Friends: A Lesson from the Living Rooms

[vc_row][vc_column][title type="subtitle-h6"]Ryan Mulrooney[/title][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="11/12"][vc_column_text]I love my friends. Absolutely love them. However, when they shift their attention from our engagement to their phones, I sometimes wish I could take a step back in time and onto the living room of Friends, where the characters always seem to be taking playful jabs at one another. I know what you’re thinking: this twenty-something-year-old show is still on the forefront of must-watch lists? Coming from an almost twenty-something himself, the answer is “yes, absolutely!” Of course, there is more to this classic sitcom than just the quirky humor and iconic 90’s style fashion. Friends is still a must-watch because it reminds today’s audiences of the value of in-person communication. When it hasn’t been your day, your week, your month, or even your year, our favorite characters prove communicating face-to-face is absolutely vital. And yes, I took that from their iconic theme song.  During winter break, as I found myself casually transported to Monica and Rachel’s living room — familiar even to those who haven’t seen the show — my mother made a comment along the lines of, “Look how they’re all together and talking to each other. No one does that anymore.” I had to take a moment to reflect. She was right. Today’s generation — my generation — is too busy scrolling through the latest news instead of having an actual conversation with someone. One of our most developed skills is hiding behind our electronic devices when exposed to intimidating situations, not to mention that we have learned to trade our emotions for the so-called “revolutionary” emojis. Technology seems to have indeed become our best friend, as strange and far-fetched as it may sound.Friends ended just over ten years ago, and it is already mind-blowing to think about how much communication has changed! We have become totally dependent on technologies that are even younger than the series finale. In contrast, during the filming of the series, their only other mode of communication was the telephone. On a rare instance, Chandler would use a bulky laptop for work -- one whose weight could definitely take a bite out of my Apple.  Amongst the witty banter in the the girls’ living room or while lounging in Joey and Chandler’s ultra comfortable recliners, never once was there a response of “LOL!” because real emotions are shared. Who wouldn’t want to hear Phoebe’s crazy laugh at one of Ross’ futile attempts to make a failed follow-up paleontology joke? Nowadays, our daily communication is constantly changing and adapting to new technologies, and this has proven to be ever so evident when someone in my generation plays an episode of Friends. If nothing else, college has allowed me to make a lot of new friends, and thus tasked me with having a lot of names to remember. It isn’t by having all these names on my Snapchat list that helps me remember my friends individually, but it is talking to them face-to-face. Like the Friends characters who live right next door to each other, a college dorm lets us be constantly surrounded by peers. This gives us an opportunity to engage with neighbours, make friends, create study groups, and have discussions about the hottest topics. We can connect over similar shortcomings and antics like the ones experienced on Friends, and seriously, we should all be trying to replicate this face-to-face engagement by not keeping our dorm doors closed and instead pop our heads into our lounges and study spaces. We should all aim to create our own dynamic Central Perk. And if you don’t live in university housing, why not go grab lunch with a friend rather than just texting? Connecting with others is one of the most rewarding aspects of life. You get to use the power of your voice — and I don’t mean for voicemails. While I’m not insisting that Friends is the greatest show to ever grace the satellite waves or that in-person communication isn’t valued or depicted on TV anymore, I believe there is a strong message amongst the ups and downs of six twenty-somethings. This sitcom teaches us that levels of diversity can be essential in building long-lasting relationships. They represent different socioeconomic statuses, with Joey being a struggling actor while Rachel gets to enjoy a bit of the high life in the fashion industry. They also have different personalities that intermix and balance each other out --Phoebe being funky and ditsy while Monica is a perfectionist, clean-freak. All of these variations are held together through face-to-face communication, which Friends notes as one of the most important aspects of our lives and one that my generation needs to remember. That is what creates true friendships. So, put down your phones everyone, because the ones you communicate with will, as the theme song says, “be there for you.”  [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]