I have 644 Facebook friends, 82 pending friend requests, 76 Twitter followers, and 3 foursquare friends (okay, that last one doesn't help my case).
I just won a tiara in a very sad popularity contest.
I would be exaggerating if I said I interacted with 5% of these people, so why am I "friends" with all of them? Isn't it starting to seem like you really are only friends with someone if Facebook confirms it?
I often hear the argument that social media platforms have helped you connect with people you were friends with in kindergarten, but look me in the eye (kinda hard through a computer screen) and tell me that you genuinely give a shit when they tweet that they just ate a taco.
Dunbar's number is a theoretical cognitive limit to the number of people with whom one can maintain social stable relationships. That number is 150.
I dare you to list 150 that you have social stable relationships with.
I think you made a little mistake in your percentages, you have interacted with 100% of your facebook friends but you maybe only interact with 5% of them , which is probably true, but i don't think that doesn't make the other people you don't have the chance to see or talk to not your friends.
ReplyDeleteThings change as you get older and you don't have all the time in the world anymore, there is a concept in the 7 HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE PEOPLE called the emoitional bank account that basically explains that for every interaction we have with someone we either add or takeaway value from your relationship with that person.
The thing is that if there is no interaction the level of the relationship stays the same, which is why you could run into a friends you haven't seen in years and strike up a conversation for hours , or if one of your old buddies is in trouble you are willing to help them out when the going gets tough(hopefully)
I mean i still think of you as a friend even though we really don't see each other that often but you did help me out with UNCC and when i had the time to hang around you your brother and the domincan gang it was fun and without facebook i wouldn' have read your blog or have the knowledge that you are in love with Sharks, so it must do be good for something right?
Shaun