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Facebook Friends Are Just Acquaintances, Oxford University Research Says
- The Mirror UK, Wednesday, January 20, 2016 6:30 AM
People with lots of Facebook friends are lying to themselves about the quality of their online relationships. That's the shocking revelation contained in a new study about the "quality" of
relationships built and nurtured on social media. Researchers from the University of Oxford found that Facebook is an excellent way to make people think they're really popular, while the actual
depth of these friendships is as shallow as a muddy puddle.
What this whole study fails to recognize, is the fact that our attention to different relationships and groups/communities, tends to shift on a regular basis, so the number can increase dramtically depending upon which time and part of our lives we are focused upon at any given time. It also fails to recognize the varying definition of friendships... close friends, business friends, acquaintances, people you have met and engaged with, and those we simply "know." Again this concept dramatically increases the relevant number. Also keep in mind that many get to know others vicariously by listening/observing interactions (and this posibilitiy had increased exponentially with the rise and popularity of social platforms) and in that regard feel a closeness, or understanding of that person.