Social media can offer both benefits and challenges when it comes to staying connected. On the one hand, it makes it easier to reconnect with old friends and acquaintances, increasing familiarity and making it easier to reach out to people from our past. However, it can also create superficial connections that lack depth.
According to research by Aknin, people often have thoughts about those from their past cross their minds or see them on their social media feeds. However, truly reactivating an old connection requires a real conversation, whether it be a phone call or a face-to-face interaction. Simply keeping up with old friends on a surface level may not be enough to fully reconnect.
If you’re feeling hesitant about reaching out to someone from your past, know that you’re not alone. Aknin suggests starting with baby steps, such as sending messages to current friends and then gradually transitioning to reaching out to old connections. Research has shown that people often appreciate these unexpected gestures more than we anticipate.
Psychologist Peggy Liu notes that we tend to underestimate how much others appreciate us reaching out. Surprises can amplify feelings of appreciation, so reaching out to someone from your past may be more well-received than you expect. Lablanca emphasizes that the fear of rejection when reconnecting with old ties is often unfounded, and that most people would be excited to hear from you. It’s worth taking the step to reach out and potentially rekindle old connections.
Reaching out to someone from your past can be intimidating, but don’t let fear hold you back from rekindling old friendships.
It is important
