Your Online Friends Aren't Real Friends, Says Study
According to a study at Sheffield Hallam University, having lots of online friends doesn't mean you have tons of real-world friends. On average, the study says, people who do online social networking have exactly the same number of real-world close friends -- five, to be exact.
The study explains that in order to form real, trustworthy bonds, people have to meet in person and forge ongoing personal relationships with dimension. A couple messages here or there and a shared photo album from your party do not great friends make.
Don't go getting all mad, now, social networkers. These results come from surveys from people just like you. In fact, ten percent of the respondents felt they have forged close friendships online. As to whether or not the people at Sheffield Hallam would agree that those people close friends, you'll have to take that up with them.
From Information Week
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