New Jersey- Hurricane Sandy also affected the social dynamics of friend groups. One resident we spoke to told us about how her children were struggling with school because their friends had left the Jersey Shore. Sandy caused so much destruction on some homes that some residents simply couldn’t afford to rebuild. This lead to many selling their property and moving somewhere less expensive. The storm split apart friends by forcing some families to relocate. Imagine you’re in high school and you have just experienced this terrible storm. On top of all the horrific experience of seeing your entire neighborhood in shambles, now your best friend has to move away because his/her family can’t afford to rebuild.
Japan- The nuclear accident caused the most social damage among friends in Japan. We spoke to one woman who was deeply concerned about the radiation in her town and did not let her children play outside. She would often see other mothers who did let their children play outside, but had to be silent about it. This forced her to associate more with like minded parents essentially limiting her social dynamic. The friends she did have who did not worry about radiation she couldn’t as, she describes it, be her real self around. The fear of radiation forced her to become two-faced or hypocritical with some of her friends. She also mentioned that if she ever spoke of radiation people would call her an extremist or radical. Most families don’t want to worry about the dangers radiation could be causing, and this is why many did not want to hear about these concerns. Another mother talked about how many of her old friends did not want to associate with her if she talked about radiation. The word has become taboo in some areas of Japan and can elicit many judging looks and opinions.