The information age has given us access to a wide range of knowledge and technology which has made it easier to get work done in the least amount of time, ironically despite having more free time, we find ourselves leading unhappy lives.

This is where having friends can make a difference to living a healthy and happy life. Studies have shown that your close friends are people who you can trust and relate to and are like a part of your family.

Friendship is not just about being able to express yourself freely with someone who you trust, it is a part of how you socialize and are able to get along with like minded people and those who share a common interest such as sports, business, entertainment etc.

Research has shown that making good friends is not just about being in good company, it keeps away the feelings of loneliness and being left out, it makes you feel like you are a part of something good and adds life to your years.

While making friends and taking part in social activities is a good thing, this does not mean that we randomly make friends out of fear of isolation. One cannot improve their lives by joining with friends who are involved in anti social activities, we need to be careful and know who are friends are otherwise you are throwing away your life.

We have all heard the saying about a friend in need is a friend in deed, this makes a difference to our health as it reduces the stress when we are under pressure and need someone who we can share our troubles with knowing that they are there for us and will help us to get through the difficult situation.

Being a part of a social circle is not just about making friends, it reduces the chances of being depressed, thinking that it is you against the world and being negative all the time.

While having friends keeps you in good health, we must remember that friendship works both ways, having friends that are there for you when you need helps needs to be taken into consideration when they are in a similar situation and we too need to be there for them when they need us.

Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, wechat, WhatsApp, Snapchat, etc. are some of the popular social media and messaging apps that we use to make friends online, there is nothing wrong with this, in fact we get to meet people who share similar interests, people from different countries, similar social situation which allows us to learn something new and which can be used for the betterment of our daily lives.

While making friends online is a good thing, one must be careful when talking to strangers and we must verify if they say who they really are before sharing personal data that can be used against you.

In the end, a person is known by the company that they keep, stay healthy and choose your friends wisely.