Children can make new friends easily. But as an individual passes childhood and adolescence, the circle of friends becomes smaller. And, reaching a mature age, many people discover that it’s not easy anymore to find true friendships. Entering adulthood brings a myriad of responsibilities and often causes a shift in priorities. While friendships are cherished, making new connections becomes notably challenging. This article delves into the intricacies of forming friendships in adulthood while exploring the hurdles many grown-up people face in this endeavour. Why is it Difficult to Develop News Friendship at a Mature Age? Changing Dynamics in Adulthood When a person enters professional life and eventually starts a family, responsibilities take centre stage. Then day by day issues like career, conjugal life, children, and other personal pursuits become focal points of that person’s life, leaving less time and energy for socialising. The shift in priorities can lead to a natural distancing from the spontaneous social interactions that characterise youth. Established Social Circles Entering established friend groups can be challenging. Long-lasting friendships often have a shared history which makes it harder for newcomers to find common ground. Breaking into these circles demands effort and a willingness to navigate existing dynamics. Read more: How to Buy a Used Motorcycle: A Detailed Checklist Fear of Rejection The fear of rejection intensifies with age. Mature individuals may hesitate to initiate friendships and fear that others may not reciprocate. This fear is rooted in the vulnerability of opening oneself to potential rejection which makes the process more daunting. Communication Styles Differences in communication styles between individuals can pose obstacles. Due to professionalism and social norms, adults usually maintain distinct approaches to conservation and socialising with new people they meet.  However, an indecent approach or over-enthusiasm to create a connection with new people may lead to misunderstandings or discomfort. Navigating the decent and right way of communication requires patience and adaptability. Read more: Bearing Legacy Mindset: How Do You Want to Be Remembered? Limited Opportunities Studies indicate that, on average, it requires approximately 50 hours to form a casual friendship, while developing close friendships demands an investment of around 200 hours. As responsibilities pile up, opportunities for socialising diminish.  Work demands, family commitments, and other obligations leave little room for older adults to make spontaneous social encounters. As a result, finding time to nurture new friendships becomes a rare occurrence. Preconceived Notions When a child makes a new friend, it starts with a pure mind without prejudice. But it rarely happens in the case of mature persons.  Read more: Micro-acts of Joy: Secret to Being Happier and Healthier? Preconceived notions about individuals’ geographical, religious, political or social identity can hinder the formation of friendships among adults. Stereotypes and expectations based on age can create barriers and prevent people from seeing beyond assumptions and embracing the potential for meaningful connections. Building Trust Takes Time Trust is one of the most crucial elements of any friendship, and it tends to take longer to develop in mature relationships. Past experiences, caution, and a heightened awareness of personal boundaries contribute to the gradual nature of trust-building.

Following the passing of their "Friends" co-star Matthew Perry last month, Courteney Cox and Matt LeBlanc have each offered their first individual tributes to him.Cox, who portrayed Perry's on-screen wife Monica, posted an Instagram video of herself with Perry's character Chandler, saying she was "so grateful for every moment" they worked together, reports the BBC. ‘In time we will say more’: Friends stars say after Matthew Perry’s deathLeBlanc, who portrayed Joey, was the first to pay tribute."It was an honour to call you my friend," he wrote."It is with a heavy heart I say goodbye. I'll never forget you," said LeBlanc. Matthew Perry, Emmy-nominated 'Friends' star, dead at 54Perry, 54, was found dead in his Los Angeles home last month, sparking an outpouring of grief from fans from all over the world.In a joint statement last month, Cox and LeBlanc along with Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow, and David Schwimmer described Perry's death as an "unfathomable loss". Chandler Bing, the AI chatbot: A tribute to Matthew Perry’s ‘Friends’ characterFollowing his issues with alcohol and drugs, a new foundation has been established in Perry's honour, vowing to continue his dedication to helping others struggling with addiction.

A man has created an AI chatbot to honour the iconic “Friends” character Chandler Bing, played by actor Matthew Perry who passed away recently. Roshan Vadassery posted a video on Instagram and one of his followers asked him if he could create an AI version of Chandler Bing since their mother is a huge fan and watches at least one episode of “Friends” every day, reports NDTV. ‘In time we will say more’: Friends stars say after Matthew Perry’s death “She looks so quiet from the last few days," the user said. Vadassery then decided to develop the chatbot. In Chandler's signature style, he asked the bot if it could be more sarcastic. "Well, could I be more sarcastic? I guess I could but then I would have to charge you an extra fee for a sarcasm upgrade." "The father of memes, I still remember in the early days of fb pages it was all about sharing Chandler jokes or wholesome scenes from Monica and his relationship. We forgot that there was another person behind the character. A person who helped a lot of people with passion, and held a smile as long as he can," Vadassery wrote in the caption. Matthew Perry, Emmy-nominated 'Friends' star, dead at 54 The post has received 79,000 likes and 800,000 views since it was shared, the report said. "Dude I tried it I am crying while writing this … Friends has changed me in so much ways I really made it part of my life am still not over him passing away .. thank you its just wow.. hope this goes more viral," said a user. Which important ‘Friends’ character was almost recast? "Bro even though it is an AI...this made me cry way too hard thank you," added another person. Matthew Perry, best known for playing Chandler Bing in the classic sitcom “Friends”, died on October 28, leaving fans across the world baffled and devastated. His funeral took place on November 3, and his co-stars Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, and David Schwimmer attended.

Introducing Bangladeshi audience to world-class movie experience in 2004, Star Cineplex, the first multiplex chain in Bangladesh, celebrated its 18th anniversary yesterday. The multiplex brand started its journey on October 8, 2004 with its maiden branch in the Dhaka’s Bashundhara City Shopping Mall. To celebrate 18th anniversary, Star Cineplex organised a gala event on Saturday night at its SKS Tower branch in Mohakhali, which was joined by an ensemble cast of celebrities and media personalities. Popular actors and directors including Chanchal Chowdhury, Azmeri Haque Badhan, Saimon Sadik, Sumon Anowar, Chayanika Chowdhury; the entire team of the upcoming film ‘Damal’ featuring Siam Ahmed, Bidya Sinha Saha Mim, Shariful Razz, Rashed Mamun Apu, director Raihan Rafi; the team of ‘Operation Sundarban’ including Roshan, director Dipankar Dipon; Star Cineplex produced and National Award-winning film ‘No Dorai’ famed actress Sunehra Binte Kamal and others joined the celebration with Star Cineplex.  “We started our journey 18 years ago with a dream that has now become a reality — that audiences will return to the theatres. Our first two years were spent making people realise what we are offering: the Dolby Atmos surround system, the high definition screens and more. Eventually, the moviegoers gave us their support and we are amazed to observe the love we got from our audiences, filmmakers, artists, journalists and other associates over these years,” Star Cineplex parent company ShowMotion Limited Chairman Mahboob Rahman Ruhel said at the event. Sharing his gratitude, he told UNB that Star Cineplex is forever indebted to movie lovers, associates and the local media for a particular reason. "We struggled from the very beginning but things got out of control during the COVID-19 lockdown. Our halls were closed for such a long time, we could not pay our rent to the Bashundhara City authority and as a result, we announced the closing of that branch as we received an eviction notice. The way our beloved moviegoers and media friends helped us at the time, it was unbelievable and that eventually saved the original branch," Ruhel told UNB. At the event, he announced that the Cineplex authority is already coming up with new branches in major cities and after the commercial and critical success of ‘No Dorai’, Star Cineplex is set to produce 4 new films. “We initially had a dream that within 18 years, we would have 100 screens — but due to circumstances, we could not open more than 18 screens. That is going to be changed in the coming days, as we are opening new screens almost all over the country. We are very thankful to the government as new theatre entrepreneurs have become eligible to get low-interest loans, which will eventually help the industry grow more,” Star Cineplex chairman said. Cineplex authority congratulated the teams of ‘Poran’ and ‘Hawa’ at the event. The latter has broken Cineplex’s highest-grossing record of all time, according to Ruhel. The ceremony ended with cutting cake with the stars, celebrating the 18th birthday of the first Bangladeshi multiplex chain. This was followed by the screenings of two Hollywood films at Star Cineplex — ‘The Woman King’ and ‘The Free Fall.’