This is a concerning chart, showing number of reported…

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Notes by Axbom

Per Axbom Mastodon

This is a concerning chart, showing number of reported “close friends” in decline between 1990 and 2021.

Would really like to see or explore more research into the concept of close friends and how this has changed over the past decades along with the reinvention of the word “friend” by Facebook.

Diagram showing Decline in friendship. Percentage who report having a certain number of close friends, not counting their relatives.

The tiers from left to right are “No close friends”, 1 friend, 2 friends, 3 friends, 4 friends, 5 friends, 6-9 friends and 10+friends.

Numbers have clearly shifted from the higher number of friends to the lower numbers.

Numbers from left to right for Men
in 1990: 0%, 0%, 8%, 9%, 7%, 13%, 15%, 40%
in 2021: 15%, 6%, 12%, 16%, 9%, 14%, 12%, 15%

Numbers from left to right for Women
in 1990: 0%,6%,13%,9%19%,13%,28%
in 2021: 10%, 8%, 14%, 17%, 12%,13%,13%,11%

Sources: American Perspectives Survey, May 2021; Gallup 1990.

Note: Figure may not add up to 100% due to rounding.

23 Oct 2022, 09:39

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