One of the prime aspects of the adolescent years is enhanced social interaction, particularly in educational settings such as schools and universities. According to psychological research, social development in the teenage years is characterized by an increased focus on seeking out peer relationships outside the family structure, with peers becoming a stimulus for social interaction. However, it is not fairly uncommon for young adults to seek out friendships with individuals similar to them across a spectrum of social factors, such as race, gender, ethnicity and so forth. Furthermore, individual differences and socialization contexts play a large role in determining adolescents' openness to diversity, or an acceptance and awareness of the differences and similarities between individuals.
For students in non-diverse friend groups, social development can be significantly hindered as they may struggle to develop expansive worldviews and other perspectives, which can limit their interactions in the future years. Furthermore, interacting with a diverse set of peers can also help adolescents foster greater personal growth, and enhance life skills such as empathy, tolerance, and greater cultural awareness. Exposure to a diversified group can also aid students in gaining an in-depth understanding of problem-solving and critical thinking, as adolescents are consequently exposed to different strategies of approaching challenges and opportunities. The question then arises, how does one step out of their comfort zone to engage with diverse sets of people? Here are some tips on how to make new friends from different friend groups:
Educate Yourself!
The first step towards embracing diversity is learning more about different cultures and backgrounds. This can be highly beneficial in not making any assumptions or inappropriate remarks, which may start off a friendship on the wrong foot. This also helps to be respectful of diversity among your peers, and actively work towards creating a more inclusive environment.
Listen Closely
It is important to listen actively and engage when interacting with diverse peers, and absorb what they have to say about their backgrounds and experiences, particularly those that may be different from yours.
Push yourself
After feeling a bit more comfortable in your interactions, try and seek out extracurricular activities that may strengthen your newfound relationships, such as participating in different language clubs at school or working on events such as international fairs or a gender-diversity workshop. Furthermore, it is critical to educate others who may be unwilling or hesitant to seek out new sets of friends, the same way that you may have once been!
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