McCann's Truth about Youth

Just read McCann's Truth about Youth.

"Once upon a time, teenagers had a small group of friends (typically 4-7 people), and these were often met through school. Within this group young people could express their individuality, but it was vital that they belonged to the group. However, nowadays things are more complex. Using social media, a typical teenager is likely to manage maintain multiple, intersecting groups of friends. In this sense, 'connecting' to a broader network of friends has replaced the singular need to 'belong' to a tight-knit group of friends."

It thought this is was interesting because I agree and disagree with this. Maybe because I have long past the teenage phase. I still think that most people have the need to belong with a small group of friends, and I think that will always be true to the human condition.

However, I know that I do have multiple groups of friends – friends that I connect with for different purposes – ones that I can go to festivals with, or who I can depend on for relationship advice, or ones that I would never call but would comment on their Facebook status.

Friends specialisation?