BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — Social media and the "Digital Age" has changed how some view friendship and how many friends they have.
According to a study from the 1990s, humans are capable of maintaining 150 stable social relationships. This is called "Dunbar's Number," named after Robin Dunbar, a British anthropologist and evolutionary psychologist, who proposed the idea and correlation between primate brain size and the average size of social groups. Using the average size of a human brain and the data from primates, he said this is the cognitive limit for the average human.
Dunbar informally explained his proposed theory as "the number people you would not feel embarrassed about joining uninvited for a drink if you happened to bump into them in a bar."
WBZ NewsRadio reporter Jim MacKay asked Boston residents how many friends they have, the numbers varied greatly. "I have a good three or four I'd say," one said. "I have like 30 good friends," said another.
The rise of social media over the past two decades has changed how one communicates with their friends. It plays a big role in people's life today and some consider their social media friends in their numbers. "I have roughly about 100 plus friends," one said. Another said, "[I have] about 600." another said.
When asked how many in person, or "real friends" they had, numbers were noticeably lower. "Real life friends about ten," one said. "Less than ten I would say," another said.
Ana, a student at Emerson, said she's happy with her few good friends and her many acquaintances. "I'm actually part of a women's workout group, and there's a lot of diversity there. I absolutely love it and everyone's just super nice," Ana said.
WBZ NewsRadio’s Jim MacKay (@JimMacKayOnAir) reports.