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Why is it so hard for some of us to make friends as adults?

SINGAPORE - APRIL 01:  A man has his breakfast inside a coffeeshop located in a shophouse on Purvis Street on April 1, 2013 in Singapore. A shophouse is a vernacular architectural building type that is commonly seen in areas such as urban Southeast Asia. Shophouses are mostly two or three stories high, with a shop on the ground floor for mercantile activity and a residence above the shop. This pre-industrial form of urban units, prevalent in 19th and early 20th century Southeast Asian towns, cities and commercial centres, literally housed everything from work to home. Today, these buildings are recognised for their significance not only as an architectural heritage but more importantly as a reflection of the island's societal history and development.  (Photo by Nicky Loh/Getty Images)
A man has his breakfast inside a coffeeshop.
(
Nicky Loh/Getty Images
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Why is it so hard for some of us to make friends as adults?

As a kid on the playground, we’re surrounded by potential friends.

Children of the same age may stay in the same school, run around the same neighborhood and ask their parents to make play-dates.

But in adulthood, people may branch out, move away to college, find a job in a new city, or just have less time to socialize; all of which could hinder finding new friends. Even Tinder-style smartphone apps like Hey! VINA are trying to address the challenges adults face finding people to connect with unromantically.

Larry Mantle speaks with friendship expert, Irene Levine, on today’s show, to discuss the challenges of making friends as an adult and how to overcome them.

Guest:

Irene Levine, Professor of Psychiatry at New York University School of Medicine; Author of "Best Friends Forever: Surviving a Breakup with Your Best Friend" and producer of TheFriendshipBlog.com