Hey there! I’m John Green, and welcome to my salon. Today, we’re diving into some cool facts about friendship. Did you know that every seven years, we tend to lose about half of our friends? A Dutch sociologist studied around a thousand people and found that our close social circles change quite a bit over time. But don’t worry, the number of close friends we have usually stays the same.
In 2014, researchers followed 24 students as they moved from high school to college. They discovered that while individual friendships changed, the number of close friends remained stable. On average, people in Britain have about 396 friends over their lifetime, thanks to modern technology and mobility.
Having a large network of friends can help you live longer! A study from Flinders University found that older adults with many friends lived 22% longer than those with fewer friends. In fact, having low social interaction can be as harmful to your health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day or drinking six alcoholic beverages daily.
Friendship can also help you recover from illness. At Ohio State University, researchers found that women with strong social support experienced less pain and fatigue after surviving breast cancer. They even had stronger immune systems!
In 2012, a study measured stress levels in fifth and sixth graders. When students were with their best friends during tough times, their stress levels didn’t rise. But when they were alone, stress levels increased.
Not all friendships are good for you. “Love-hate” friends, or frenemies, can actually raise your blood pressure. A study from the University of Utah found that spending time with ambivalent friends was more stressful than being with people they disliked.
Having friends at work can boost your happiness. People with three close work friends are 96% more likely to be satisfied with their lives. However, these friendships can also be distracting and reduce productivity.
Friendships change as we grow. A study followed seventh graders and found that by their senior year, only 1% of those friendships lasted. Differences in grades, gender, and popularity often caused friendships to end.
Peer pressure can affect your grades. Teens who hang out with classmates aiming for good grades often see their own grades improve. By age 15, kids are more likely to prioritize helping friends over attending social events.
Having a best friend in childhood can help build emotional resilience, especially for kids from low-income neighborhoods. College is also a great time to make lasting friendships. Research shows that college friends often stay close for years.
Being aware of your friends’ likes and dislikes can strengthen your bond. Asking deep questions can also help you become closer. Friendship even affects our empathy. Our brains react similarly when we or our friends are in danger.
Interestingly, friends often share similar genetic traits. People with certain genes, like those linked to alcoholism, tend to befriend others with the same genes. Lonely people also have genetic similarities with other lonely individuals.
A 2012 study explored friendships between men and women. It found that men often rated their attraction to female friends higher than women did. Despite this, many friendships between men and women remain platonic.
According to the Pew Research Center, 57% of U.S. teens have made new friends online, though only 20% have met these friends in person. There’s also something called the friendship paradox, which means most people have fewer friends than their friends do. This happens because people with lots of friends are often friends with many others.
In conclusion, friendships can make us healthier and happier, but they can also be complicated. Thanks for joining me in exploring the science of friendship! Feel free to share your thoughts about your best friend. And remember, as we say in my hometown, don’t forget to be awesome!
Create a timeline of your friendships over the past few years. Identify any changes in your social circle and reflect on why these changes might have occurred. Consider how technology and mobility have influenced your friendships.
Research and present on how friendships impact health and longevity. Use the studies mentioned in the article as a starting point, and explore additional sources to understand the benefits of having a strong social network.
In pairs, role-play scenarios where one person is experiencing stress and the other is a supportive friend. Discuss how having a friend present can help manage stress levels and share your experiences with the class.
Participate in a discussion panel about the concept of frenemies. Share personal experiences and explore how these relationships can affect your well-being. Discuss strategies for managing or ending toxic friendships.
Engage in a debate about the pros and cons of online friendships. Consider the findings from the Pew Research Center and discuss whether online friendships can be as meaningful as in-person ones.
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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Hi, I’m John Green. Welcome to my salon. This is a Mental Floss video. Did you know that we lose about half of our friends every seven years? On average, a Dutch sociologist studied around a thousand people and their friendships, and it turns out that every seven years, half of the people in our close social group tend to disappear. This indicates a constant turnover in friendships.
Our number of friends tends to remain fairly consistent. A 2014 study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences involved 24 student participants who were transitioning from high school to college. The researchers provided them with phones and sent them three questionnaires about their friendships over 18 months. While there was a lot of turnover in individual friendships, the number of friends that participants considered close remained stable.
Interestingly, a recent survey attempted to quantify the number of friendships a person has in a lifetime. Researchers found that British people have an average of 396 friends over their lives, which is a relatively new phenomenon. People from previous generations typically didn’t reach that number due to less mobility and limited technology. I do have more than one friend; most of them are just online.
A study from the Department of Rehabilitation and Aged Care at Flinders University found that individuals with larger networks of friends tend to live longer. Researchers surveyed 1,500 older adults over ten years and discovered that those with many friends lived 22% longer than those with fewer friends. Additionally, a meta-analysis published in the Public Library of Science Medicine found that low social interaction has health impacts similar to smoking 15 cigarettes a day or consuming more than six alcoholic drinks daily.
Having friends may also aid in quicker recovery from illness. At Ohio State University, researchers studied 200 women who survived breast cancer and found that those with strong social support experienced less pain, depression, and fatigue compared to those who felt lonelier. Furthermore, women with more friends appeared to have stronger immune systems based on antibody levels.
In 2012, a study examined cortisol levels in 103 fifth and sixth graders while they recalled events from the previous 20 minutes. Cortisol levels are a good indicator of stress. If students were with their best friends during negative experiences, their cortisol levels did not increase, but they did rise when they were alone.
However, not all friendships are beneficial. There are health risks associated with “love-hate” friends, also known as ambivalent friends or frenemies. According to a survey from the University of Utah, half of our friend groups may consist of these types of individuals. Researchers monitored blood pressure and found that spending time with ambivalent friends led to higher blood pressure compared to being with people they disliked.
Interestingly, individuals who can name three close friends who are also coworkers are 96% more likely to report high life satisfaction. However, workplace friendships can also be distractions that reduce productivity. A 2007 study from the University of Auckland Business Review reported that many workers identified distracting friendships with colleagues.
Jumping back to preteen friendships, a 2015 study published in Psychological Science explored why seventh-grade friendships end. Researchers followed 410 middle schoolers and found that by their senior year, only 1% of seventh-grade friendships remained. Friendships were most likely to end due to differing grades, genders, and popularity levels.
Research shows that peer pressure can influence academic performance. Teenagers who befriend classmates striving for good grades often see an increase in their own grades. A study from the Max Planck Institute for Human Development and the Chinese Academy of Sciences found that younger children often chose social events over commitments to friends, but by age 15, they preferred to help their friends.
A 2015 study from the University of Sussex found that children from low-income neighborhoods were more likely to develop emotional resilience if they had a childhood best friend. College is another great time to make friends. Researchers from Purdue University studied friendships of college best friends from the 1980s and found that those who were close in college were more likely to remain friends.
Being socially aware can also enhance friendship quality. A 2011 study in Psychological Science found that college students who were aware of their friends’ pet peeves were more likely to be considered close friends. Additionally, asking deep questions can help strengthen bonds between friends.
Friendship impacts our empathy as well. In a 2013 study, researchers found that brain activity was similar when participants felt threatened or when their friends were in danger, but different when it was a stranger. A 2009 study showed that participants who were told their scores would be public gave equal points to friends, while those who were told scores would remain private gave their best friends the most points.
Interestingly, friends often share similar genetic makeups. A study found that people with a specific gene associated with alcoholism tend to befriend others with the same gene. Similarly, lonely individuals often have genetic traits that resemble other lonely people.
A 2012 study explored whether heterosexual men and women can truly be friends. Researchers found that male and female friends had different perceptions of attraction, with men rating their attraction higher than women did.
According to the Pew Research Center, 57% of U.S. teens have met new friends online, though only 20% have met an online friend in real life. Lastly, there’s the friendship paradox, which describes the phenomenon where most people have fewer friends than their friends do. Sociologist Scott L. Feld first identified this in 1991, noting that those with the most friends are often counted as friends by others.
In conclusion, friendship can enhance our health and happiness, but it can also be complex. Thanks for watching this Mental Floss video! Share your thoughts about your best friend in the comments. And as we say in my hometown, don’t forget to be awesome!
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This version removes any inappropriate language and maintains the essence of the original content.
Friendship – A close and mutual relationship between two or more people who care about each other and enjoy spending time together. – Example sentence: In sociology class, we learned that friendship plays a crucial role in providing emotional support and improving mental health.
Sociologist – A person who studies human society, social behaviors, and institutions to understand how they function and affect individuals. – Example sentence: The sociologist conducted research to explore how social media influences teenage friendships.
Health – The state of physical, mental, and social well-being, not just the absence of disease or illness. – Example sentence: Our psychology teacher emphasized the importance of maintaining good mental health through positive social interactions.
Stress – A feeling of emotional or physical tension that can come from any event or thought that makes you feel frustrated, angry, or nervous. – Example sentence: During exams, students often experience stress, but learning coping strategies can help manage it effectively.
Resilience – The ability to recover quickly from difficulties or setbacks, often by adapting well to change and challenges. – Example sentence: Building resilience is important for teenagers to handle the pressures of school and social life.
Support – Assistance and encouragement provided by others, which can be emotional, informational, or practical. – Example sentence: Having a strong support system of friends and family can help individuals cope with stress and challenges.
Influence – The capacity to have an effect on the character, development, or behavior of someone or something. – Example sentence: Peer influence can significantly impact a teenager’s decisions and behaviors.
Happiness – A state of well-being and contentment, often associated with positive emotions and life satisfaction. – Example sentence: Studies in psychology show that strong social connections are linked to greater happiness.
Online – Connected to or available through the internet, often used to describe activities or interactions that occur in digital spaces. – Example sentence: Many teenagers form online friendships that can be just as meaningful as those in real life.
Connections – Relationships or links between people, often based on shared interests, experiences, or social networks. – Example sentence: Building connections with others can enhance a person’s sense of belonging and community.
