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List of close friends has now shrunk to two. (Thinkstock photo)
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Indian Express, Washington: How many “close friends” do you have? Well, it could be no more than two who you consider as your best buddies, says a new study. The Cornell University study found that the list of close friends of Americans has now shrunk to two, down from three confidantes 25 years ago. But, the number of socially isolated people, or those who have zero confidantes, has not increased over these decades as suspected, found the study. “Although this shrinking social network makes us potentially more vulnerable, we're not as socially isolated as scholars had feared,” study researcher Matthew Brashears said. “Rather than our networks getting smaller overall, what I think may be happening is we're simply classifying a smaller proportion of our networks as suitable for important discussions,” Brashears said. “This is reassuring in that it suggests that we're not becoming less social.” For their study, Brashears and his team surveyed over 2,000 adults ages 18 and older from an online national representative programme conducted between April and May 2010.Read Full;' Close friends are now less common: study - Indian Express
