How many friends do you have online? In today’s world where friendships and followers on social media platforms can number into the thousands, a new study has suggested it doesn’t really matter much in real life.
A recent study by British Professor Robin Dunbar from the University of Oxford said that no matter how big your friendship circle is on Facebook, you’ll only be able to count on four of them in times of crisis.
Professor Dunbar also noted in the study published in the journal Royal Society Open Science that the average Facebook user has around 150 friends on the social media site, followed by another 500 "acquaintances."
The results were partly determined by limitations on the brain capacity of human beings and our free time, said Dunbar, after surveying nearly 3,500 people in the UK.
After the research results started circulating on Chinese social media, it instantly struck a chord with many internet users.
“Well, I have to say I don’t even have four. I’m such a loser…” posted a user named @Ningmengluoleijishisuan.
“Only one. That is ME [smile],” said another named @MoshengV.
“Chinese people have concluded over 2,000 years ago that it’s enough to have around three to five intimate friends,” @Changshalaodu.
But no matter how many friends you think you have online or offline, as an old Chinese saying goes: “one best friend is all you need.”
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