According to TikTok, you only need a few friends to have a full social circle — seven, to be exact. The viral new "Seven Friends Theory" proves that smaller groups of friends are the way to go, by celebrating the qualities each of your best friends brings to the table, from the confidante you've known since childhood to basically friends Circle member's best friend. family.
Friendships come and go, but as long as you have friends filling these seven roles in your life, TikTok believes you're ready for life. The popular "Seven Friends" theory holds that everyone should have seven friends, each of whom brings a unique perspective or provides specific value that others cannot. This trend lists seven specific "roles" that each friend typically plays, with some of the roles revolving around how long you've known each other, while others revolve around their personalities or how close you are. The theory states that you should:
- A friend you've had since childhood.
- A friend who can make you laugh in any situation.
- A friend you can never speak to but nothing will change.
- A friend you can tell everything to.
- A friend who is like a sister.
- A friend you can’t imagine not being friends with.
- A friend who knows all your relationship problems, even if they don't want to hear it.
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It's unclear who started the Seven Friends Theory, but regardless, the trend seems to have reached its target audience. As of May 4, the hashtag #7friendstheory has been viewed more than 10.4 million times, while the related hashtag #7friendstheory has also been viewed 2.4 million times. Nearly 13 million views and counting.
Just because the viral craze emphasizes having seven friends doesn't mean you can't have anyone else in your friend group, and let's be honest, you don't have to have one friend per character either. In fact, the real reason this trend is so popular isn’t because it’s a scientifically proven theory. That's because TikTokers have been using this as an excuse to irritate their inner circle, and the results are pretty damn sweet.
User @lysscausey admitted on TikTok that she "had seven bridesmaids for a reason," along with a heartwarming photo of the creator surrounded by the bridal party on her wedding day. Meanwhile, TikToker @aabby.hk said she feels "very lucky" with the friends in her life and even discussed making a second video to get to know the rest of her team.
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If you're not a skilled video editor but still want to join this trend, don't worry. You can make your own 7 Friends Theory TikTok using the carousel photo option in the app, which allows you to create a slideshow of pictures instead of making an entire video.
If you really want to try editing but don't know where to start, you can also use the CapCut editing tool created specifically for this trend, which you can find a link to in this video.
