Having lived in a co-ed college residence hall for almost four months now, I've made many close and valuable connections with both guys and girls (shoutout to my college peeps if you're reading this, you are all wonderful). But as friendships have formed, so have some little romances among previous "just friends"...and that's inevitable, right? Living in an environment of constant male-female interaction has got me thinking recently about the validity of opposite-sex friendships. Is it possible for friendship to exist between a male and a female without any type of sexual or romantic tension arising? It is safe to say that your answer to this question depends on who you are and the experiences you've had, but I personally think it's absolutely ridiculous to discount the potential for strictly platonic male-female relationships.

Why is it that this negative stereotype surrounding platonic male-female relationships exists? I think we can owe it in large part to the influence of modern media. Think about how often you see a male-female friendship portrayed in a TV show or movie that ends up in romance (cough, Monica and Chandler, Jess and Nick, the list goes on and on). These types of media portrayals have ingrained into our minds that a platonic friendship can't exist without some level of suppressed romantic desire somewhere between the two parties. And that is so toxic. Who's to say I can't be friends with a guy just because I enjoy his company? Or because we have a lot in common? I have never specifically sought out a male as a friend, I simply gravitate towards people who I feel comfortable around, who I can relate to, and who make me happy.

Life shouldn't be like an awkward middle school dance with boys on one side and girls on the other. Some of the most valuable connections I have made throughout my life have been with members of the opposite sex, and I think it is a huge loss to reject someone's friendship simply because you worry they might try to "make a move on you." Learn from your differences - males and females literally have different brain chemistry, and interacting with someone of the opposite sex on a closer level will likely offer you some fresh life perspectives. Next time you introduce an opposite sex friend to a group and someone says something dumb like, "hmm you sure you guys are just friends?" look them dead in the eye and say hell yes.

Shoutout to all the guys who have made me who I am, ily.