So I’m sitting in the car texting when my mother asks, “Who are you talking to?” When I tell her, she says, “Oh, is that one of your social media friends?” After which I respond “Yes it’s ____,” and she does the typical mom interrogation of what we’re talking about and why we’re talking so much. This question got me thinking about the types of friends that someone has, and how not all friends fit into these categories, but most can. Also, all of these friends touch your lives in a special way. Some push you to do more, some make you realize your level of confidence, and some will be there for you for life.

1. Social Media Friends

These are the friends that you may never have talked to in real life, but end up being your best friend on Snapchat or Twitter. They can be some of the most intelligent and open-minded people you have ever met, or the most closed-minded. I have not met someone in between. These people will always be there for you if no one else will. They will hype up your selfies on Instagram and retweet them on Twitter. They are always there to boost your confidence or hear you out.

2. School Friends

These are the friends that you can always count on at school. They may not hang out with you on the weekends necessarily, but there’s always a seat at their table for you. These are people that you compete against, who push you mentally and physically. School friends are mainly found to be from sports teams or clubs. They may not be the best at talking, but they’ll have your back on group projects and they’ll be your partner if you need one.

3. In-Betweens

These can be your best friends, or just good friends that you know will be there for you no matter what. They’ll never intentionally break your snap streak or unfollow you on Instagram. They’ll always hype you up and they’re there to listen to you and help you through the hard times. You can always count on them to let you stay with them on a break if you have nowhere to go. They’ll walk down a couple floors to zip up your dress if you can’t get it, or they'll even do your makeup for you. They’ll never let you eat a meal alone if you don’t want to. These are your future bridesmaids and groomsmen, the ones that are there for you until the end.

There may be more categories to friendship, but these are the categories that I have simplified in my brain. Some social media friends may end up being more that just social media friends, same with friends at school. Friends can come from the messiest of situations, and you could have even hated them at some point, but people can surprise you. Friends come and go, but the ones that stay are forever.