One of the issues confronting couples today is the relationship and friendship with other couples — especially as social isolation has become a plague in our social media era. A decade or so ago Psychology Today presented an article discussing what makes for couple’s friendship. Such friendship reinforces the couple’s own relationship. Needless to say, social media has made this issue even more complex today. The following is from that article …………..

“One of the biggest challenges for couples is to determine how to spend their time – do they spend it alone with just each other, alone without their partner, each partner with individual friends, with family, or with other couples? ….  It is well-established that people with friends live longer, healthier, and happier lives. Friends keep us on our toes, socially engaged, and mentally active …. Couples who share friends (which include individuals or family members) tend to be happier. These couples get to be together with friends and family and engage in enjoyable and meaningful activities. They are more fully integrated into their social network if friendships are shared and this may re-enforce their own relationship …. Related to marital/partner happiness, couple friendships can strengthen individual friendships that the couple has with one or both members of the other couple. Many couples described friendships that began on a one-to-one basis; the men knew each other from college or the women met at work and then introduced their spouses to each other. The opportunity to still go out alone with the close friend as well as with the other partners of the friends re-enforces the earlier friendship. “Couples Friendly with other Couples.” Psychology Today (2012).