Everyone knows that social media is the source for opinion, and one recent teen topic that brought plenty of conversation is friendship groups of threes, otherwise known as trios. While a pair of friends is simple, a group of three people is an odd number which sometimes leads to conflict, as students complain that trios don’t turn out as well.

“I’ve been in trios, and they don’t work out because there is always a duo in the trio. And then someone feels left out,” said Mary G.

It can be hard being in of three if a stronger duo exists within the group.

“It’s hard with a trio because sometimes there’s things that are more like a two-person thing, and you always feel a little bit left out,” said Michelle W.

Exactly. There’s always the risk that a person feels neglected. For example, if a trio visits a theme park like Knott’s and the group heads for a rollercoaster, there will always be a person sitting in the row behind the duo. That can sting. And what about Twin Day on campus? 

“Why didn’t I know about Twin Day? one of the trio may wonder. Because how do you do twin day?” said Ms. Plascencia, a proctor on campus.

Sometimes, a friendship problem like this can even interfere with classwork. 

“[There isn’t any problem] unless I have a specifically distressed student that is crying. Last year I did have that situation,” said Ms. Keltner.

In any situation that you’re left out, it hurts. All of us want to matter, and feeling a little left out creates questions about worth and value. 

“I definitely had a trio sometime during college. But, there was a betrayal. She wasn’t kind to another girl in the friendship. So for me, when that was happening, I just had a conversation with her about not being kind and just kind of kept my distance,” said Mrs. Dedick.

There are ways to address the concern. Afterall, there’s something really positive about having the problem in the first place. All of us would be better off having more friendships. And relationship issues can typically be solved with good communication.

“I’ve seen trios come back in, where one might have felt disconnected from the other two. And after they came together and shared how they were feeling and what their intentions really were, then it just got resolved. Then it is a rewarding friendship, and the friendship becomes stronger than ever,” said Mrs. Gaines.