Ask yourself this question, would you happily go for a pint with every single one of your Facebook friends?
If you would, then you’d probably be stuck in the pub for half the year.
Studies carried out by Oxford University have revealed that Facebook users have an average of 155 friends, with women (166) tending to have slightly more friends than male users (145).
The surveys ultimately shows that whilst having a large network of friends in social media circles is handy for keeping in touch, face-to-face contact is the only way of maintaining close bonds with your peers.
It is also revealed that Facebook users consider only 28% of their Facebook friends to be genuine friends, and that they would only turn to four friends for help in a crisis.
“Social media certainly helps to slow down the natural rate of decay in relationship quality that would set in once we cannot readily meet friends face-to-face,” Oxford anthropologist Professor Robin Dunbar said.
“But no amount of social media will prevent a friend eventually becoming ‘just another acquaintance’ if you don’t meet face-to-face from time to time.”
