Dear Emily,
I am in a longtime group chat with women I’ve known for over 20 years, and a new thing is that it is actually making me actively dislike several of them. It used to be a great way for us to stay in touch, and now it seems almost as if it’s working against its own purposes, like reminding us all why we shouldn’t be friends anymore.
Some of the problem is an existential one that I’m sure is plaguing many group chats right now, which is how much should we talk about current events, if at all? Everyone in this group is various shades of liberal, but that doesn’t mean we don’t disagree wildly on some political issues. If this isn’t a safe space to vent, then do I need to find a different, more like-minded — or at least less easily offended — group of friends? Should I convene a smaller group with the ones I feel closest to, or is it time to just disband and never look back?
