OK So Every Mom Is Feeling "Friendship Burnout," Right?

"She met friends for dinner after long days at work, joined them (with us in tow!) for karaoke after our softball games, played Scrabble on their back porch for hours on a Sunday afternoon. She made phone calls and talked during basketball practice, and while I know she was exhausted by her daily work commute and taking care of three kids and a home, I don't ever remember her saying she felt "friendship burnout.""

"But there's a whole lot of us now who do. Times have changed, I know. And of course friendship drama and woes and pressure have always existed. But I truly think the ability to be in constant communication - and the millions of TikToks and reels and social media posts calling people bad friends if they miss a text message - and all of the ways we feel like we have to "perform" to be a good friend attributes to this "friendship burnout.""

""The expectation of being constantly reachable is exhausting on its own," says Christina Mathieson, LMFT, founder of My Mental Climb, and a new mom. "Group chats accumulate messages even when you step away for an afternoon. Voice memos are wonderful, but they're also an unstated commitment to listen for ten minutes when you barely have ten minutes to yourself in the day. Social media adds another layer because moms are seeing curated versions of other women's friendships - the brunches, the trips, the book club, the daily check-in texts. How is anyone supposed to not get overwhelmed by all the ways we are supposed to connect with people now?""

Friendships for mothers have changed from earlier patterns of in-person time and relaxed contact to frequent, ongoing digital communication. Many people now feel pressure to respond quickly, stay reachable, and maintain social connection through texts, group chats, voice memos, and social media. Group chats can accumulate messages even when someone steps away, and voice memos create an expectation to listen. Social media adds comparison through curated images of other women’s friendships, including outings and daily check-ins. With parenting responsibilities and other daily demands, the combined expectations can feel overwhelming and exhausting, even when friendship drama has always existed.

Read at Scary Mommy