Whoever said quality is more important than quantity clearly is on the lower rung of the social ladder. High school is a time to claim one’s spot at the top.

Over the course of the long four years, teens take the time to build relationships. The best way to survive high school is to create connections with students and others.

Having multiple friends is beneficial because it helps someone attain popularity easily. Popularity follows every student throughout their school career, making it an important part of their social life. Having a social status is everywhere at school, whether it is within sports, clubs or classes.

According to adolescent psychologist, Dr. Mitch Prinstein, teens in high school “think about what it was like to be cool, and that really translates scientifically to being known by everyone, being visible, being influential, dominant and powerful.” 

Having a large amount of friends also helps people explore different types of people, like athletic students or academic students. It promotes more involvement in diverse cultures, academics, humor, etc.  

A typical high school setting exposes teens to people from different backgrounds or with divergent personalities. Learning other types of backgrounds opens young people to a new world that they eventually learn to understand and it better prepares them for the future of the big real world. 

According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, young teens need to start creating these “connections to the larger world that can help adolescents make positive choices that protect their health and their futures.”

Having a large social life allows teenagers to confide in multiple perspectives that they may need in situations they are going through. Different perspectives are beneficial for young people who are trying to learn their way through life. Being young often correlates with making mistakes, but diverse opinions help the person make a decision or see the situation from a different point of view. 

Along with different perspectives, having an abundance of friends prepares young students for large social situations. The ability to converse and relate to people easily is an important skill to master when put in any type of social situation, whether it is parties, first day in class, etc.

So, in order to survive the real world people need to realize that having plentiful relationships is the best way to do so.