But indeed, in today’s realities we could feel ourselves literally drowning in friends! But is this really true? The way we build and maintain friendships is rapidly changing right before our eyes. Instead of one-on-one communication, we prefer to write messages in chats, which have become a more preferable type of communication even in comparison with a telephone conversation. We prefer to keep our distance, to keep the interlocutor at a decent distance. The list of unfamiliar people on social networks, often including hundreds of names, surnames and nicknames, has almost completely replaced the concept of a “narrow circle of friends.” And now, against the backdrop of all these trends brought into our lives by social networks, there is every reason to believe that we are entering an era of crisis of the very idea of ​​friendship. Where is all this leading our society? Perhaps to some dark and gloomy place in which electronic stimuli slowly replace the real joys of interpersonal communication? Nowhere without “British scientists” According to the results of recent sociological studies, one in three people in the UK would actually like to be closer to their family, but the laws of existence in modern society often encourages them to live quite far away. These problems are usually blamed on the busy life of the concrete jungle: in London, a survey found that two-fifths of all respondents face an inevitable distance from their closest friends. This is evidenced by crowded bars and restaurants after work: we have hundreds of acquaintances, but there are hardly a few people with whom we are ready to share our deepest personal experiences. American sociologists have conducted extensive research that goes beyond the urban jungle. According to work published in the American Sociological Journal, on average, an American has only two close friends, and a quarter of respondents have no friends at all. It is worth paying attention to the statements of other sociologists. Hua Wong and Barry Wellman, from the universities of Southern California and Toronto respectively, talk about "panic in the United States caused by a potential deterioration in the quality of social connections." But notice the words used – “social connections”. But this is not the same as a real, strong friendship. Less, but better While social networks are actively taking over the territory, one thing remains unclear, difficult to measure, but nevertheless very important - the quality of the connections that we acquire thanks to social networks. When it comes to deep, trusting relationships, we understand that less is more. There may be just one click until the start of communication, but this is not enough for real friendship. It's not so easy to find people with whom you are truly on the same wavelength. Thus, it turns out that “friending” on social networks contributes to the development of very superficial relationships. Of course, no one is to blame for this. Today's friendships are subject to many risks, such as hectic work schedules and the general busyness of various everyday activities. And this means that we barely have time for others. Just this very time, cluttered with seemingly important and urgent matters, could play a role in the formation of real, sincere friendship. But such is modern life, and we are not able to defeat or change it, so we just hang out, without any obligations, expectations, without tension. But it is precisely these things that help you find out what kind of person in front of you really is. We are completely captivated by the idea of ​​personal freedom, initially probably correct, but over time perverted, exaggerated and brought to the point of absurdity, to the peak of narcissism and indifference to what your “friend” from a social network lives between posting selfies. Aristotle said that real friends “ate a ton of salt.” And this means that they shared with each other any moments of life, their bitterness and sweetness. “The desire to get closer arises instantly, and