Americans’ circle of friends is shrinking, new study shows | Science Blog:

Americans’ circle of close confidants has shrunk dramatically in the past two decades and the number of people who say they have no one with whom to discuss important matters has more than doubled, according to a new study by sociologists at Duke University and the University of Arizona.

“The evidence shows that Americans have fewer confidants and those ties are also more family-based than they used to be,” said Lynn Smith-Lovin, Robert L. Wilson Professor of Sociology at Duke University and one of the study’s authors.

“This change indicates something that’s not good for our society. Ties with a close network of people create a safety net. These ties also lead to civic engagement and local political action,” she said.

My confidants seem very distant lately. Yes, they are generally hundreds of miles away. However, as I am a techie, miles don’t mean anything. Between IM and phone, we can still discuss things. Its just that lately we seem to have other things happening that take away the opportunities.

Better work on correcting it.