Nineties sit-coms have lied to us; no one pops in for breakfast before work. The modern age calls for us to become so occupied with work schedules and self-improvement courses that we are forgetting the importance of hanging out.  

Yet maybe the blame does not entirely lie in our hands. Our priorities have changed; the rise of social media combined with a plethora of ‘working from home’ jobs have resulted in a familiarity in separation. Time spent alone has become such a norm that interacting is becoming a rarity. Social isolation is on the rise with the World Health Association stating ‘1 in 6’ people have reported experiencing loneliness. There is an illusion that we have access to people all the time, as social media keeps us up to date with our loved ones. However, a photo of your friend on a beach is nowhere near the same as enjoying the moment with them. We have become reliant on Instagram to remind us of our friends’ lives instead of calling them up ourselves. Whilst social media can be a great way to keep in touch, I fear this dependence on digital is robbing us of the urge to see people in person. The errand running, informal midweek or late-night hang outs are drying up, and maybe our phones are to blame.  

Then again, maybe it is not merely our phone’s fault. Pub prices have skyrocketed because of general living cost inflation. Perhaps the midweek catchup is dying out as young people cannot afford to go to the pub. The price of a beer on average has risen 36% since the last world cup, in the last eight years a night out has almost doubled. How are young adults meant to afford a casual catch up if we can no longer afford to buy our mates a pint too? When prices go up, our social lives pay the real cost.  

Perhaps it is not only the cost of going out that threatens the casual hang out but the price of home hosting too. Sometimes we wait so long to see loved ones for fear of not delivering. We forget those closest to us are not waiting for a red carpet instead they merely want our presence at shared tables. Hosting has become an Instagram obsession of perfect gardens fitted with equally impressive dishes of feta and olives neatly arranged to look like checkerboards. All this pressure is causing the majority to opt out of hosting. When every event becomes an Oscar worthy afterparty, of course it is easier to skip sending out the invites. Yet hosting does not have to be a grand affair. Influencer ‘Hannah Schiav’ has proved it can be as easy as a bowl of soup.  

She is actively challenging the narrative that casual hangouts are dead, instead of gathering her friends every Sunday night for ‘Soup Sunday’. The motive is simple, no fuss, no pressure, simply an easy way to see your friends. It is exactly what our dull social calendars need. Allotted time. We are not talking about reinventing the wheel here; Schiav focuses on the simplicity of shared time. There is no need for exuberant extravagance or meticulous planning, just continued community and a promise. She also shows how her and her circle manage to meet nearly every day despite all having full-time jobs. Whether it be for errands runs, hungover breakfast or drinks at the local, texts are sent and schedules shuffled. Schiav recently raised attention to the fact that this group of friends is rather new as most of them only met each other a year ago. Which proves that we too can have this life of sit-com level chaos if we choose it. We do not even need to pull up a chair; we just need to grab a spoon. 

Image credit: Violette Douglas