# More friends, more division: Study finds growing social circles may fuel polarization

<https://phys.org/news/2025-10-friends-division-social-circles-fuel.html>

- Host: [phys.org](https://links.thingelstad.xyz/hosts/phys.org/)
- Saved: October 29, 2025 (2025-10-29T13:51:56Z)
- Record: https://links.thingelstad.xyz/links/9eff4d2ca2fe/
- JSON: https://links.thingelstad.xyz/links/9eff4d2ca2fe.json

## What Jamie wrote

I’m a big believer in [Dunbar's number](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunbar%27s_number) and I think it shows up all over the place in society. I particularly think the intersection of social media and the limits suggested by Dunbar's number are something we've ignored to our detriment. 

This article caught my eye in a big way because it is talking about similar concepts — count of friends in certain levels. It suggests that our "close friends" number has risen, and that changes dynamics in notable ways.

> Tolerance plays a central role. "If I have two friends, I do everything I can to keep them--I am very tolerant towards them. But if I have five and things become difficult with one of them, it's easier to end that friendship because I still have 'backups.' I no longer need to be as tolerant," explains Thurner.

Super interesting theory.

## Facts

- Kind: [Page](https://links.thingelstad.xyz/kinds/page/)

## Appears in

- [WT331: Weekly Thing 331 / RFC, Security, Tokens](https://weekly.thingelstad.com/archive/331/), Notable

## Same host

- [New largest prime number found](https://links.thingelstad.xyz/links/b833ed45911f/) (phys.org, January 25, 2016)
- [Astronomers are captivated by brightest flash ever seen](https://links.thingelstad.xyz/links/2231268a6820/) (phys.org, October 26, 2022)
- [Plastic recycling remains a 'myth': Greenpeace study](https://links.thingelstad.xyz/links/5947a787beac/) (phys.org, October 26, 2022)
- [Scientists find first evidence that black holes are the source of dark energy](https://links.thingelstad.xyz/links/d68c004ba1a1/) (phys.org, February 19, 2023)

## Saved the same week

- [GeoUtil — Free Online Map & Geography Tools](https://links.thingelstad.xyz/links/293c7e072dc8/) (geoutil.com, October 29, 2025)
- [JSON Query - a small, flexible, and expandable JSON query language](https://links.thingelstad.xyz/links/99174a5493d6/) (jsonquerylang.org, October 29, 2025)
- [toon: 🎒 Token-Oriented Object Notation – JSON for LLMs at half the token cost](https://links.thingelstad.xyz/links/d7d36c1f4421/) (github.com, October 29, 2025)
- [Easy 6502](https://links.thingelstad.xyz/links/3e3476ac8ea0/) (skilldrick.github.io, October 29, 2025)
- [Claude Code: What It Is, How It's Different, and Why Non-Technical People Should Use It](https://links.thingelstad.xyz/links/71422ee7b8ea/) (producttalk.org, October 29, 2025)

## Elsewhere

- Wayback Machine: https://web.archive.org/web/*/https://phys.org/news/2025-10-friends-division-social-circles-fuel.html