The social circle of a modern European is about 150 people, only five of which are good friends.
What about relationships in the virtual world? This question was answered at the British Academic Festival by Will Reader, a psychologist at the University of Hallam in Sheffield (UK). Internet sites, forums, chats create a feeling of an incredibly wide range of contacts and great ease of communication. However, it turns out that the number of close friends in the virtual world is the same – on average, no more than five. Scientists attribute this fact to the logic of evolutionary development: making friends is a costly undertaking that requires a lot of energy to invest, which we need in order to survive. This “limiter” of friendship on the Web works the same way as in life.