Who do you share your secrets with?

Thought that the article below is pretty interesting...

From The Straits Times

Oct 23, 2006

No bosom pal? You're far from alone, study shows

LONDON - LONGER working hours and a growing Internet society have left young men with almost no close friends, a study has found.

Researchers at Duke University in North Carolina repeated research conducted by sociologists 20 years ago and found that the average man has only two friends with whom they feel they can share their closest secrets.

This compared with 3.5 'confidants' in the earlier study, reported Britain's Sunday Times.

A quarter of the men in the study said they had no one in whom they could confide - twice the number of those who felt so in 1985.

These are mostly men in their 20s who have lost touch with their school friends, and pensioners who have outlived their peers.

The study found that close friendships have been replaced by groups of 'semi-detached' work colleagues and 'chatroom chums' on the Internet, The Sunday Times reported.

Duke sociology professor Lynn Smith-Lovin said people typically have as many as 750 acquaintances, but nearly all of them fail the 'trust test'.

'You would only share your most vulnerable secrets with a true confidant if it is already proven you can trust them,' she said.

'Another significant change is who we trust: 20 years ago, a young man might have discussed sports or politics and avoided the personal. Now, the best friend is more likely to be a spouse with whom we share more interests.'

About 38 per cent of the study participants said that they trusted their spouses, compared to 30 per cent previously.

The researchers surveyed 1,500 people and found that middle-aged men in their 40s and 50s had almost three close friends each.