A new report has come out saying that Americans have fewer friends than any other country!! Isn't that sad? Researchers say that we have fewer friends today than we did two decades ago. On average, each person in 2004 reported 2.08 close friends—those they can discuss important matters with. That's down from 2.94 people in 1985.
People who said they had no one with whom to discuss such matters more than doubled, to nearly 25 percent
The research also showed that people who talk only to family members about important matters increased from 57 percent to 80 percent over the two decades, while the number who depend totally on a spouse rose from 5 percent to 9 percent.
The results are based on responses from more than 1,400 American adults to the General Social Survey, conducted by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago since 1972.
As a young college ctudent, I have noticed that it is hard to keep in touch with your old "high school" friends when you go away to college. Of course you don't want it to be like that but sometimes you have no choice. Most freshman in college don't have a car so how is one suppossed to be able to travel to a different city? Just a word of advice...the telephone will always be there. Use it just to keep in touch if you can't visit. You'll appreciate it in the long run.
The findings are published in the June 2006 issue of the journal American Sociological Review.
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Cellphone, telephone, email, and (optional) online chatting services - always keep in touch with those who are dear to you. College students do need much support. Also, in college, don't forget to take advantage of the available extracurricular activities, where you can make new friends.
First of all, of course the percent of people who can't name a single friend has increased to 25%, so has the percentage of obese Americans. See a connection? Anyway, Just Kidding, one solution for people who want to stay "super-tight with their homies from high school" would be to all flock to the same college. But, this must be planned. The group of friends must research the college together, choose a suitable field available at the college, apply together, hope and pray that everyone gets accepted, apply for the same on-campus housing at the same time, move-in as roommates at the dorm, and Voila!, it is done! Now you have your high school buds with you at college. (Friends for Life, B.F.F, that kinda thing)
P.S. That idea of mine is not original; That is actually what a few dozen of my classmates did for college. They all went to the nearby campus of the University of North Texas. From what I hear, it will be like Lakeview all over again. Thank God, I'm not going.
-Oz
Also, I think this is particularly surprising as it seems like we've gotten better and better ways to stay in touch with each other. Maybe the ease of interaction has cheapened the interactions we have?
Even when I went away to college, I still kept in contact with my friends.
One of my friends is going to college four hours away, and we're still close friends.
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There is nothing more powerful than an idea whose time has come.
I would like to wish you much luck. And a lot of money. Thank you.
I read that too, it seems odd tho kuz there are so many more ways to keep in touch with people now then there were before. I think the real reason that we have fewer friends is that we now can go on and post nasty stuff about other people, which ruins friendships.
I really hope they fix this spam problem before the next contest starts?
"Dream as though you'll live forever, but live as though there's no tomorrow" --James Dean
http://www.progressiveu.org/user/fanaile-drupal-org
Anywhoo, it's sad...and I kinda agree with the thought put out by Guest not verified(lol) who hasn't noticed that they have added kids from their highschool that they didn't talk to or totally despised to their facebook or myspace friends lists? and who doesn't have like 50 im's of peeps the dont know. But that speil up there DID say that family connections are getting stronger, so maybe we will find the middleground and people will find that they can form stronger more personal bonds with not only their families but their friends as well
I hope you're right, girlie. The idea of having closer-knit families is great... it could do so much for the children! People in this day of age dont have too many close friends because they're too busy making small aquaintences online! Not that there's anything wrong with that, but I always intend on keeping my close friends close! :)