Couch Friends
October 23, 2024
Writer: Molly Fischman
Editor: Sonia Walke
A friend might join you for a quick trip to the bathroom. A good friend will comfort you after a breakup. A best friend will defend you when no one else will. But a “couch friend” is different: they will sit with you for hours in silence, offering their presence without pressure to talk or act. In many ways, having a couch friend is the luckiest kind of friendship to have of them all.
Reflecting on my life, I cherish the incredible experiences I have shared with my friends—attending concerts, watching championship football games, traveling to different parts of the world, and so much more. Yet, it is the moments spent doing nothing at all with my closest friends that stand out the most.
Coined by Charlotte Negron’s TikTok, a couch friend is a friend for whom you need no social battery. You can spend hours together doing practically nothing and have the best time.” When the video came across my feed, I realized these friends are the ones I cherish the most.
In a time when so much is happening in my life, I need reassurance that I have people with whom I can do absolutely nothing with. Our lives are consumed with the daily stress of college work, social life, and job hunting, therefore we need the time to decompress with our friends while doing absolutely nothing.
Sometimes, friendship helps me delay facing reality a little longer. That’s why I turn to these friends, who don’t expect big plans. I can commit to these plans with them, knowing I don’t need to spend an ounce of my social battery. All I have to say is, “Does anyone want to hang out?” and my couch friends show up without me asking for more. All I need is for someone to sit next to me.
Although it may seem mundane or lazy, I treasure these relationships the most. Many of my most meaningful conversations come from simply sitting together and doing nothing. At the same time, there’s no pressure to have a “deep talk.” Couch friends create a safe space for each other. There’s a deep intimacy in simply coexisting with someone. Silence isn’t awkward; it’s comforting. In my most vulnerable moments—dressed in unremarkable clothes and feeling less than put-together—I feel at ease with my couch friends. I can be myself, free of judgment or expectations. Sitting on the couch with them symbolizes the closeness and trust in our relationship.
True friends don’t need grand plans or effort to connect. In a world that demands constant productivity, these quiet moments are treasures. Couch friends remind us that the essence of friendship lies not in action but in the comfort of simply being present. The people I value most are those with whom I don’t need to plan anything—just being together is enough.
Works Cited
Borresen, K. (2024, February 23). This type of friend is the one you really need for your well-being. HuffPost. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/why-everyone-needs-a-couch-friend_l_65d53c89e4b0cc1f2f79f3d8
Image: Sabrina Sugg
