When working in an American company, it's quite common to see a colleague in their forties casually introduce someone by saying, "this is my best friend."

At first, I found that a bit strange. In Korea, the term "best friend" tends to refer to a close friend from school days.

However, in the U.S., adults in their forties and fifties use this expression without hesitation. Curious about why that is, I decided to look into it.

According to a 2021 survey by the Survey Center on American Life, 59 percent of adults reported having a best friend.

In a similar survey conducted in 1990, that percentage was 75, indicating a significant decline over the past 30 years.

The number of close friends has also decreased. In 1990, the average was 2.94 friends, but by 2021, it had dropped to 2.23.

The number of people reporting that they have no friends at all has increased as well. In 1990, it was 3 percent, but by 2021, it had risen to 12 percent.

Notably, the change has been more pronounced among men. The percentage of men reporting having no friends increased from 3 percent in 1990 to 15 percent in 2021.

Looking at these numbers, it seems like making friends in America has become more challenging than before, which is somewhat disheartening. I suspect that fewer opportunities to socialize through sports teams or clubs have contributed to this trend.

However, there's an interesting point to note. Those who reported having a best friend typically name about two people for that title.

This means that in America, the title of best friend isn't reserved for just one person; it's a term that can apply to multiple people simultaneously.

When you think about it, American children are so accustomed to the abbreviation BFF that they often engrave it on stickers or bracelets. It makes sense that as they grow up, they wouldn't feel the need to change their terminology.

In the workplace, there's an even more intriguing example. The polling company Gallup includes a question in its employee engagement survey asking if the respondent has a best friend at work.

While it may seem like a personal question, it actually serves as an indicator of trust. Employees who answer affirmatively to this question are found to be seven times more likely to be engaged in their work compared to those who do not.

In reality, only about two out of ten employees respond positively to this question. While it's not a common situation, it is significant enough for companies to include it as an official survey question.

From this perspective, it seems that in America, the term best friend is more about expressing that someone is a trusted and comfortable companion, regardless of age or formality.

In Korea, there's a tendency to view terms like "close friend" or "BFF" as something that should be used sparingly, as using them too freely can make them seem trivial. In contrast, in America, it seems more natural to use this expression frequently rather than saving it for special occasions.

Within the Korean community, I sometimes notice this difference as well. Among peers, the term "close friend" is often used, but as people get older, they may avoid using it because it feels childish.

I remember feeling a bit awkward when a teammate I had known for a few years in a local sports league casually referred to me as their best friend. I wondered if it was appropriate to use such a title after knowing each other for only a few years.

Looking back now, I realize that it was actually a way to open up and build trust. Instead of assigning levels to relationships, it starts with a statement of belief in one another.

If opening up to new people is a challenge, then it's a challenge worth taking. There's no downside to it, so there's no reason not to try.

As we get older, it becomes easier to build walls between ourselves and others, but I think learning to express openness in this way is something worth adopting.