UK Woman Embarks on a Mission to Make New Friends Every Day. 22 Days in and It’s Working: ‘Go and Make Friends, Darlings’

With how much doomscrolling people do on a daily basis, many have lost their ability to interact with others. But with a simple hi and hello, anyone can make friends. Or at least, that’s what Jess (@friendswithjess) is trying to prove on TikTok.

Jess, who’s from the UK, has a series on TikTok where she tries to make a new friend every single day. 22 days in, and she’s managed to make yet another one.

“I met this really lovely girl in a vintage shop, and I’m going to go back and ask her if she wants to be friends,” she told TikTok. The woman apparently recommended a coffee shop to Jess, which she absolutely adores. She made her way back to the vintage shop and struck a conversation with the woman.

“Darling, I had to let you know I went to IRENE,” Jess said. IRENE is a local coffee shop in London with some fantastic ratings. Like many others, Jess ended up gushing about how good the coffee shop is. She tried the maple pecan croissant and thought the pastry was so good. With how she’s reacting to the croissant, everyone hearing her talk about it might as well book a flight to London just for a bite.

It’s not that hard to make friends

Putting reactions aside, Jess then proposed to the woman. “I just thought, I want to come back. Can we exchange Instagrams? I want to be friends. Can we be friends?”

Everyone in this generation knows that once social media profiles are exchanged, it’s game over. They’re officially friends.

“Wait, that’s so lovely,” the woman said. She didn’t even hesitate—and Jess came out with a new friend after that interaction. But then, Jess even proposed getting drinks with the woman after work. To that, the woman let out a small, excited scream. Who would’ve thought making friends would be this easy so long as people didn’t overthink social interactions?

Jess’ advice is simple: “Go make friends, darlings.” It’s easier said than done, or at least, that’s what most people assume.

One comment reads, “Wait, is it that easy?! You just ASK? I should embrace my inner child more.” It looks like some people are struggling to make friends out of shyness. After all, outside of schools and workplaces, where people are forced to interact, there isn’t much of an incentive to strike a random conversation up with other people.

Another wrote, “I would like to be adopted by an extrovert.” Some people are just naturally more reserved, and Jess does present herself to be lively in her interactions. But most of her conversations don’t start with something spectacular either.

Jess’ TikTok series

During her first day of the series, she simply asked a couple of men to help her pick out shades. The men were surprisingly cooperative, and they even suggested other pairs of shades than what she initially picked out.

But what if they find the interaction awkward? Jess had an experience on day six of her series. She approached a man who was taking photos and who was with someone else. Although the photographer was happy to chat, his companion wasn’t so comfortable with a stranger approaching them. So, Jess made the right call and moved on after she sensed that the other man was a bit wary.

Of course, it takes social awareness for people to make friends. Jess makes it look easy, but the point is not to overthink it. Because starting a simple conversation with a stranger could definitely lead to something more.

(featured images: Leeloo The First, friendswithjess, Daniel Reynaga)

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