Raising the Friendship (Dun)Bar
I’ve always said it: you can take the boy out of the Neolithic village, but you can’t take the Neolithic village out of the boy.
Or something like that. New research is out today confirming old research—in fact, it’s by the same researcher—that should allow you once and for all to shut the yap of your cubicle mate who loves to brag that she has more Facebook friends than stars in the galaxies. An Oxford University professor named Robin Dunbar found:
“…the size of our neocortex - the part of the brain used for conscious thought and language – bestow us with a limited capability of remembering up to 150 important relationships. In addition, he cited that this number has remained the same, even with the influence of social networking sites like Facebook, Bebo and MySpace.”
In other words, if you have 1000 Facebook friends, at least 850 of them are “friends” only in the loosest definition of the term, most are barely even acquaintances, and a majority of those scarcely rise to the level of “some dude I met at a party.” Professor Dunbar, an evolutionary anthropologist, came up with the 150-figure in the 1990’s—before social internet sites existed--and it’s actually known in academic circles as “Dunbar’s number.” He maintained then, and still does now, that the number of so-called “important” relationships cannot exceed their evolutionarily-based correspondence with the size of a Neolithic farming village, a unit of the Roman army, or a modern office environment.
Makes sense to me. The only problem I have with this research is that the 150-figure seems way high to me. I have about 30 Facebook friends, a number that seems to be holding steady since I hardly ever logon to the site. And I count only a tiny percentage of those as “important relationships” in the Dunbar-ian sense. Maybe that means I’m anti-social, but I prefer to think my ancient ancestors simply hailed from a much smaller farming village. Or that my neocortex has issues.
| Search Blog
|
Comments: 7
Jim, you & Kaity are both correct,.... 150 itself seems like too high an estimate number of online pals before you fade-out on remembering most of them.
For me 25 was kinda pushing it, but, so be it!
Hi Jim, I just saw your segment on how many FB friends you should have and I disagree. I myself am near you so-called magic number at 143 but definately have room for many more. What you and your interviewee failed to realize is that not everyone your friends with logs on every day and it is for the most part "light-weight" conversations and updates. I make it a point to only accept friends with whom I've spent some quality time with at some point in my life. People I've made some kind of connection with. It is nice to see what other people are up to and see how they have aquired spouses, children and even grandchildren. And once you check out their profile at your leisure they are there connected to you if you ever want them. No looking for someone who knows their number or address.There is no obligation to correspond with every friend you accept or to participate in any thread. It is COMPLETELY optional how much time you spend and what you want to share. The beauty is when you or someone you know needs anything that you cannot go to 300 strangers for help. People who know you are more willing to lend a hand. And contrary to what was said I DO care about each and every one of my friends and have room for many more I have yet to connect with.
30 is about right on facebook, unless you are VERY good at making friends
I am surprised at the number of 150 also. Yes, it is probably 150 on and off, but probably not all have the same level of connections.
For those who got like 1000 friends on fb, they need those "friends" for games to help them completing missions.
I know this is off topic, but there seemed to have been a little sexual tension between you and Mr.G tonight. I am just wondering, something seemed different in the newscast. And I like it.
Thanks. Keep it up (no pun intended).
Hey Jim I I'm not sure how to use this website to comment on what you just said on the 10pm news. However your comment about the healthcare issues in the CCA Prison System could have gone unsaid. If you have never worked in or had the opportunity to enter a prison without your TV cameras then you have no idea what occurs behind those walls.
You say that inmate who died had no criminal history, but, when people enter a prison it is not uncommon to adapt to the criminal mentality.
When you said he had no medical treatment, well I can't comment on that...neither should you. You also commented on him speaking in his native language, take a trip outside the US to a non-english speaking country and see your odds of getting someone to understand you. If he lived in this country for so many years, I assume he spoke english...that said, he should have been voicing his medical concerns in english and not his native language.
Please show this posting to your supervisors and/or anyone who writes in the teleprompters telling them to do a little research so you guys do not speak on an issue you know nothing about before you talk, if those were your own words...next time keep your eyes on the prompter.
Regards
SORRY TO USE THIS SPOT BUT DIDN'T KNOW HOW ELSE TO CONTACT YOU. I CALLED WPIX AND WAS TOLD THAT NO ONE COULD COMMENT AS TO WHY WPIX IS NOT TELEVISING THE PRESIDENT'S STATE OF THE UNION SPEECH TONIGHT AT 9 P.M., WHILE ALL OTHER MAJOR NETWORKS ARE. YOUR 10 O'CLOCK NEWS PROGRAM IS THE ONLY ONE MY HUSBAND AND I USUALLY WATCH AND I READ YOUR BLOG DAILY. WE ARE INDEED DISAPPOINTED AND WISH WE KNEW THE REASON THE PRESIDENT IS NOT BEING TELEVISED. PLEASE HAVE SOMEONE E-MAIL ME IF YOU CAN. THANK YOU.
We have comfortable cheap UGG boots which understand your feet's need and know your feet how to walk to wear. Let me tell you, discount UGG boots will content you....