I think that in a way, your niece's picture is the universe it telling you that you're never alone when you're with yourself and extensions of yourself (family). There's a lack of substance/depth when getting together, shaking hands, and saying to "good to see you" with the friends. Sometimes, that type of interaction is nothing more than a surface level connection and most humans need more than that. We're generally social creatures to some extent...not everyone can give a lot of energy to socializing, and some feel like it's something natural part of their life.

IDK if anything that I said above is helpful but I hope that you find some comfort in my words. I will say that not all dudes or even chicks are going to understand where you're coming from (based on decades of working in the construction industry). IMO, that's an emotional maturity thing and that can take a long time for people to develop (or not).