For most people the idea of losing friends overtime can leave them fearful of being alone in old age, but new research suggests that having fewer friends can actually make us less lonely.
A study that examined the friendships of nearly 400,000 students has shown that while the number of close friends they have on average has fallen in the past 25 years, they feel less isolated.
Psychologists believe modern technology and the increased use of social media to interact with other people, which have led to the decline in face-to-face contact, have driven this change.
“People become less dependent on their families and need more specialized skills, which could lead to less interest in social support and more self-sufficiency,” said lead researcher Dr David Clark, from the University of Queensland. “Over time, people are more individualistic, more outgoing, and have higher self-esteem.” He added: “The trend in loneliness may be caused by modernization.”
The findings come after a series of studies have shown that the growing use of social networking sites like Facebook has had a negative affect on the quality of people’s friendships. Other studies have suggested that people who use Facebook tend to be more isolated and lonely. Lonely people are also more likely to share more information about themselves on such sites.
However, the latest findings, shows people are actually getting less lonely. The scientists examined 48 surveys of American College Students who had completed the Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale, with a total of 13,041 students taking part. This showed that overall loneliness declined from 1978 to 2009, with female students reporting lower loneliness than male college students. The researchers also looked at the results from the Monitoring the Future project between 1991 and 2012, which surveyed US high school students about their behaviors, attitudes and values.
Overall, the high school students reported having fewer friends with whom to interact, but less desire for more friends.
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