Teens with dominant (占主导地位的) friends are at higher risk for mental health problems, according to a new research republished from The Conversation.

Dominant friends often control decision-making power. They can also control others’ behavior, like by making the junior friend go to a party they don’t want to attend.

Friendships are extremely important relationships for teens, but are they always a positive influence? Some psychology researchers were interested in the potential psychological results of having dominant friends. They predicted (预测) that being part of this kind of friendship might make teenagers feel useless or anxious.

To investigate it, 388 teenagers were surveyed at U.S. high schools five times across one year. Each time, teen participants were asked to answer questions about their close friends’ dominating behaviors: Do they make all the decisions? Do they always get their way?

Consistent with researchers’ predictions before, they found that when teenagers felt powerless in their close friendships — like their friends always made the decision — they experienced lower self-value and more symptoms (症状) of depression or anxiety.

Although some teens might be OK going with the flow and letting their friends take the control, the study found some of the first evidence that this kind of unequal relationship can be psychologically harmful. Healthy friendships should offer both partners opportunities to have a say and make decisions.

The findings suggest that it’s important to teach teens how to form healthy, fair friendships. One friend shouldn’t always feel bossed around or powerless. Also, teenagers may benefit from receiving help in developing effective communication tools for asserting (坚持主张) their wants and needs to their close friends.

If you are struggling with social anxiety, and don’t know how to find good friends, you can use the following important ways to meet new people.

【小题1】

A bookstore is a great place to get to know people with a true sense of curiosity. Meeting new people in the bookstore is lovely because your conversations have depth. You can talk about the different stories you’ve read. 【小题2】.

Go traveling

Traveling is one of the most adventurous ways to meet other people. People will be in a good mood, particularly when traveling for a vacation, which opens up chances to meet new people in a happy way. 【小题3】, you explore different places, and create positive memories while meeting new people from different cultures. You’ll make new friends during this happy moment in your life.

Attend a music festival

If you love songs, attending a music festival is the perfect choice for you. In this way, you really can’t escape meeting new people since you’re surrounded by hundreds or even thousands of people in one place, enjoying the live music. 【小题4】. There’s a big chance that the people you meet in this event are connections you’ll remember even after it ends. If the event is several days long, you might notice that you go out with those strangers for a couple of days. After the event, you might choose to stay in touch.

Take a course

There’s no better way of making new friends and meeting people than taking a course. You can take a course such as learning a skill. 【小题5】, you gain knowledge and a skill, and you get to socialize with a new set of people.

One day, a college student was taking a walk with a professor. As they went along, they saw lying in the path a pair of old shoes. They supposed the shoes belonged to a poor man who was employed in a field close by, and who had nearly finished his day’s word.

The student turned to the professor, saying, “ Let us play the man a trick: we will hide his shoes, and hide ourselves behind those bushes, and wait to see his confusion when he cannot find them”.

“My young friend,” answered the professor, “we should never amuse ourselves at the expense of the poor. But you are rich, and may give yourself a much greater pleasure by tricking on the poor man. Put a coin into each shoe, and then we will hide ourselves  and watch how the discovery affects him.”

The student did so, and they both placed themselves behind the bushes close by. The poor man soon finished his work, and came across the field to the path where he had left his coat and shoes. After he slipped his foot into one of his shoes, he felt something hard. He bent down to feel w hat it was, and found the coin. Astonishment and wonder were seen on his face.

He  fixed his eyes on the coin, turned it round, and looked at it again and again. He then looked around him on all sides, but no person was to be seen. He now put the money into his pocket, and continued to put on the other shoe; but his surprise was doubled on finding the other coin. His feelings overcame him. He fell upon his knees, looked up to heaven and cried a sincere thanksgiving, in which he spoke of his wife, sick and helpless, and his children without bread, Whom the timely help, from some unknown hand, would save from dying．

The student stood there, deeply affected, and his eyes filled with tears．“Now,”said the professor,“are you not much better pleased than if you had played your intended trick？” The youth replied,“You have taught me a lesson which I will never forget．