The Limitations of Social Networking Sites
Social networking sites like Facebook encourage users to have a large number of friends. However, research shows that humans can only manage around 150 relationships at a time, a concept known as “Dunbar’s number”. This number is based on the constraints imposed by brain size and our ability to meaningfully engage with others.
Individual Differences in Friendship
Recent research on friendship has revealed fascinating insights into the way people cultivate their social networks. Each person has a unique “social fingerprint”, which determines how they allocate their social effort. This pattern remains consistent regardless of who is in their friendship circle at any given time. Understanding this social fingerprint can provide valuable insights into one’s identity and how they cope with social restrictions.
