Friendship has always been a sensitive issue. Some think it is easier to make friends than to keep them, others disagree that the first contact is the hardest step.

I tend to agree with the former for two main reasons. The first one is the fact that people tend to grow weary of each other. It happens to all: couples, parents and children, friends and all the other relationship members you can imagine. You can avoid this by finding a lasting common interest, but it rarely happens and is more of a luck matter than of anything else. The second one is that you cannot show all of your character upon first contact. You and your friend will keep discovering each other's character features for a very long time after you meet, and they are rarely the good ones, so the discovery of those cannot enhance the relationship in most cases.

However, there are people that argue that the first contact is the most crucial and demanding step of developing a friendship. They say it requires a lot of effort to approach a person unknown to you and make a positive impression on him or her.

I cannot agree with them, though. Nowadays you can easily approach someone via social media without putting yourself under any kind of stress, which allows you to create the impression you want to create. If you want to make your approach in real life, social media can still help you gather some helpful intelligence on the person you are aiming to befriend, and, as a wise man once said, the plan is only as good as the intel it was based on.

To conclude, it is safe to say that keeping a friend is far far harder than making one. Technology pretty much cannot help you with the former, but it provides great assistance with the latter making it a whole lot easier.