Acquaintances are people whom we have surface-level interactions with, without any significant emotional involvement in the relationship, Melewski explains. Casual or social friends are people we might befriend at the office, gym, or book club, for instance. We know more about the person than we would about an acquaintance; however, the foundation of the relationship often rests on shared environments or activities, like a sports team, a workplace, or a hobby group, Melewski explains. “The connection is more tied to the shared activity than a strong personal bond.” We might interact with these friends fairly regularly because of the shared environment or activity. As we get to know each other, we might start to chill with them before, during, or after the activity.
