If you're on Facebook... how many "Facebook Friends" do you have?

[NurseJackie]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/your-facebook-friends-have-more-friends-than-you/2012/02/03/gIQAuNUlmQ_story.html

Your Facebook friends have more friends than you
By Hayley Tsukayama
February 3, 2012

The average Facebook user has 245 friends. But the average friend on Facebook has 359 friends. So says the latest study by the Pew Center’s Internet and American Life Project. But how could it be true that your friends, on average, are more popular than you?

It’s just the digital reflection of what’s known to sociologists as the “friendship paradox.” In 1991, sociologist Scott Feld found that, generally speaking, any person’s friends tend to be more popular than they are. The reason, he said, is fairly simple: people are more likely to be friends with someone who has more friends than someone who has fewer friends.

This is true on Facebook as well, the study found. A small number of people are isolated and don’t appear on many lists, but popular people show up again and again.

Another interesting result of the study finds that Facebook users tend to get more messages, friend requests, likes and photo tags than they give, pointing to the existence of a few Facebook “power-users” driving the site’s activity.

Keith Hampton, a professor at Rutgers University and the lead author of the report, said that power users make up around 20-30 percent of Facebook’s users, and that there are three specialties within these power users. Some users send a lot of friend requests, while others most frequently “like” posts and pictures. A third kind of power user tends to make a lot of photo tags.

POLL QUESTION: If you're on Facebook... how many "Facebook Friends" do you have?

42 votes, 2 passes | Time left: Unlimited
	Under 100
	13 (31%)
	101 - 200
	7 (17%)
	201 - 300
	7 (17%)
	301 - 400
	7 (17%)
	401 - 500
	2 (5%)
	Over 500
	6 (14%)
	2 DU members did not wish to select any of the options provided.
Show usernames Disclaimer: This is an Internet poll

[JustAnotherGen]

1. 200-300

I'm the youngest of 33 grandchildren on my dad's side. My husband comes from a huge family too. For me - the key use of Facebook is "family connectivity". I maybe have 75 'friends' on there - the rest are all family members.


It's probably why the FB doesn't bother me as much - I'm in this bubble of shared backgrounds, history, family values, etc. etc.

[NurseJackie]

2. Not as many as you do, but your description mirrors mine.

I'm in this bubble of shared backgrounds, history, family values, etc. etc.

It's mostly family and some old friends. It's an easy way to share photos and to keep up to date on which of my old classmates have died.

[TxGuitar]

16. For a second I thought you wrote

the youngest of 33 children and I thought, sorry you're gonna have to prove that!

[JustAnotherGen]

47. Ha!

My itty bitty grandmama gave birth to ten kids - her last two were twins.

When we would go visit them in the summers as little kids - I got away with 20 kinds of murder. At that point there is NOTHING - I mean - NOTHING they had not seen already!

[TxGuitar]

54. I know the feeling

I was the 8th of 9 children, and the 6th of 6 boys, so my mom knew every trick. She had a kind of "whatever" attitude by the time I was a teen.

[GoneOffShore]

3. Almost 600. Time to do a purge, possibly.

[NurseJackie]

4. I know someone who has over 2000 friends...

... but she admits she has no idea who nearly all of them are. She just thought it would be rude to refuse their friend request... and she thinks it would be rude to unfriend them. (Sigh.)

[GoneOffShore]

25. I actually know about 2/3 of them IRL.

[OhZone]

5. Just under 500 -

with 266 Friend Requests waiting. ha

I'm sure I'd have thousands if I'd friend every stalker who requested it.

[NurseJackie]

7. I frequently get requests from people that I don't know... but that have a friend-in-common with me.

I still delete their requests if I don't know them. I figure they may have tapped the friend-request button accidentally and without realizing it.

[Ms. Toad]

60. I've got one in that category, I think.

But I've sent out and cancelled quite a few requests since the most recent revamp that puts the like button too close to a button that generates a friend request. So I try to hit like - and realize I've generated a friend request to the person who made the post below, so I cancel it.

I've got only one that I think I accepted accidentally who has a friend in common with me.

My general rules are:

1. I don't send out friend requests
2. I accept friend request from people I know in real life AND from people who I can identify as having a common interest based on our mutual friend (e.g. Quakers, Queer Quakers, Alzheimers, etc.) Most in the latter category I've also met in real life.

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

6. I just checked... 5...

...of course there is a pending request by someone that's been there about 4 years.

[NurseJackie]

8. That sounds like a manageable number.

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

11. I check it 2 to 3 times a year, I don't want to miss anything.

I figure I'm good till Thanksgiving now.

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

15. And speaking of friends...

...I've finally started watching Breaking Bad. If Skylar ever really divorces Walt, I think he should date that Nurse Jackie character.

PS- No spoilers allowed here!

[NurseJackie]

22. My son kept recommending BB to me and I tried it... but didn't like it.

Didn't hate it. But it didn't grab me enough to want to keep watching. (I guess it's my age.)

I'd rather watch (stream) old episodes of The Love Boat (Paramount plus) and Rockford Files (Peacock plus).

[GoneOffShore]

27. I want to watch NYPD Blue on line.

[NurseJackie]

29. When we first got netflix, my husband watched EVERY episode of Adam-12.

This was before there was even a word for "binge watching". (I didn't watch them all with him... but I must admit that the show was enjoyable.)

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

38. I know Jackie had a pain problem.

I don't know if meth helps with pain but if staying awake for a few days helps you then Walter's your guy. Best meth cook in the Southwest.

[NurseJackie]

42. Apparently there are many forums for people who like to write "fan fiction" and develop...

... alternate storylines and adventures for existing characters. I think it's has a big popularity among science-fiction readers and viewers, but I'm sure that you might be able to come up with something too.

[electric_blue68]

65. It's very big in SF, but not exclusively.

[NurseJackie]

67. I think the SF and fantasy genres offer more opportunities for amateur writers...

... to experiment with their creative and imaginative talents. I'll bet that many have what it takes to be published... but re-using existing characters and places and situations could run-up against copyright considerations.

[electric_blue68]

75. I know of a few fan fic writers back in the '80s-'90s who...

added a lot original characters, and worlds as well as into the SF media characters, and worlds they loved, who gradually switched over to totally their own characters, and became professionally published! 👏👍

[Crazyleftie]

9. I have about 8, I don't like Mr. Fuckerberg

I don't use Facebook as a vanity media, no pics of myself or family or family events.

I don't use my real name. I have a pseudonym.

I use it mostly as a historical medium to document political/newsworthy issues for my future reference.

Facebook otherwise is a medium that is grossly misused for the benefit of one Mr. Fuckerberg.

[NewHendoLib]

10. I'm only there because of a course I am co-teaching

there is a private group for asking questions. Once the course is over, I will once more completely delete my stuff.

[csziggy]

12. 3 - my husband, my sister, and one niece

I'm thinking of adding my niece in law but she doesn't post very much so she won't add much to my FB feed.

More importantly is how many groups people belong to - I've got several needlework and sewing groups, a Crap Wildlife Photography group that provides tons of laughs, and naturalist groups such as Florida Native Plants. Those are the feeds I stay in Facebook for, not staying in touch with individuals.

[Dream Girl]

13. Facebook is dumb and is destroying the country

But enjoys your “friends”

[NurseJackie]

17. Family and friends. Mostly family.

But enjoys your “friends”

Family and friends. Mostly family. I do enjoy it. I love sharing photos and catching up on the latest. It's great to see videos of my grandchildren. There's even a video-chat feature built-in to Facebook too, I enjoy that!

Facebook is dumb and is destroying the country

Lulz. I guess that all depends on who's using it. Personally, I like it and it's not destroying my life. In fact, in the time of Covid isolation, it enriches my life.

I'm smart enough and sensible enough to keep things in perspective. (That's one of the benefits of growing old, I suppose.)

[George II]

14. Under 5. I don't "do" Facebook. I just maintain an anonymous account for the rare times I can't...

....contact people other ways.

When I did have an active account with a few dozen "friends" I'd get all these messages like "Joe Schmoe just dined at McDonalds", "Shirley Temple just shopped at Walmart", etc.

But that did come in handy a few years ago. A friend was in alcohol rehab and we all sympathized with him, cheered him on, etc. Then a day after being released we all go a message, "Fred just visited Murphy's Bar."

[NurseJackie]

19. My husband's employer wanted to know what his FB username was and a link to his account...

... only he didn't have one. They literally did not believe him and he could not convince them otherwise. So, with the help of a DOD contractor colleague, he created a FB account that same day and provided his HR dept with his new URL. So, technically, he now has a FB account... but he never logs in.

Weird, isn't it?

[George II]

59. My wife and I each have anonymous accounts. She uses hers to track a group of people...

...who used to hang out in Florida at the bar we went to every year on vacation. It got blown away about five years ago, so someone started a group to keep in touch with each other and post photographs of the place from years ago.

Mine is just to communicate with some people who insist on using it. But I'm even more anonymous there than here as "George II"!

[NurseJackie]

70. Do you have a profile pic? Is it an old King George II painting?

[George II]

72. Some clown here tried putting that in his signature but then a bunch of giraffes started showing up!

[NurseJackie]

73. That's funny!

[Timewas]

18. 53

And most are relatives

[Maru Kitteh]

20. No idea. I'm sure it's less than 359 though. nt

[NurseJackie]

21. That's oddly specific.

But it still sounds like plenty of friends, family, associates to keep you entertained on a rainy weekend.

[HAB911]

23. Less than 20. I heavily screen and filter

out the trash

[NurseJackie]

26. My browser has "AdBlockPlus" installed and it seems to filter out most of the FB ads.

It's not that difficult to install, configure, set up. I just set-it and forget it.

[obamanut2012]

24. 98

All friends, coworkers I'm friends with, and immediate (ie non-RWNJ) family members.

[NurseJackie]

28. I've got a couple of RW family members. I've not "unfriended or blocked" them, BUT...

... I have simply "unfollowed" them and that takes care of that. They exist, but in the corners and shadows (where they belong.)

[MissB]

30. I keep it mostly to family and a few select friends.

I like to see what is going on in people’s lives from afar. A sibling will post their trip photos (private pilot whose plane owner takes frequent international trips) or current art projects (friends that live out of state, several are craftsman-type folks).

There are a few friends and family that post pro-vax and pro-Democratic posts daily. There are very few that are the opposite- I tend to hide or unfollow those folks. My in laws are also on FB and I often snooze them for 30 day increments.

I’m on Instagram more than FB, because that’s where the younger members of my family post. I have a couple of nieces that I adore, so I make sure I check once a day to see what they’re up to. I love seeing videos and pics of my great nephews/nieces.

[Maeve]

31. 265--many are professional connections

And I turn down a lot of them that I don't know (ones who are trying to connect with as many others as possible).
Professionally, I'm winding down to some extent, so a higher percentage of FB friends are going to be people I know IRL

[NurseJackie]

32. Every friend on FB is someone that I know in real life.

I "like" and "follow" a few special-interest groups and I chat with other individuals in the various threads... but so far none of them have sent any friend requests. (I'd probably ignore/decline the request.)

[Maeve]

33. Storytellers are a far-flung bunch

Some I know by reputation (and some know me the same way) even if we have not met in person. And all of us like to talk....

[dumbcat]

34. 183 friends at this time

and I just went through the whole list and I know and have personally met all but five of them.

Mostly family, high school and college classmates, and army buddies.

[msongs]

35. it's nolt possible to read all that stuff posted by so many people. what's the

point of having all those so-called friends

[NurseJackie]

43. Perhaps if one has a monetized YouTube channel...

... it would be an easy way to promote the channel and get more views. (That happens a lot here.)

[Ms. Toad]

62. One of my friends has nearly 5,000 friends.

He's actually pretty good at keeping track of them - and it's related to his job.

I don't keep track of all of 513 mine all of the time. Probably 25% are from one or another health care groups. We collect medical unicorns in my family - and the support groups help us keep tabs on the minimal information there is about these rare conditions. I connect with them mostly around conferences (and I know most of them in person).

Another quarter are family (we have thanksgiving pictures with 100+ people in them - and that's descendants from 1/4 of my spouse's 4 sets of grandparents). Keeping track of them is a mixure of in person/telephone/emal and facebook.

Probably another 1/4 are former students - they tend to drift off over time, but one of the ones I see most graduated in 2013.

That leaves the remaining quarter for mostly Quakers/Queer Quakers I also see once a year aside from the past year, plus assorted other high school friends, etc.

Most of my facebook are also real life friends or acquaintances. Just as I wouldn't expect to have daily conversations with all of my friends in person, I don't expect to see them/hear from them online every day. But facebook lets me keep more in touch than I would without t.

[Another Jackalope]

36. 1925 friends here.

I've been on FB for 15 years, generating a lot of content - environmental, left-wing political and photographic. My late partner, a fractal artist, was full up, with 5000.

[NurseJackie]

44. "Full up" ... there's a 5000-friend limit? I did not know that.

Condolences for your loss.

[GusBob]

37. 750

2 businesses in public sector
Large family
Lotsa travel
Much volunteer work
I only post positive things,and rarely more than once a week, the rule I use is stuff my mom would like to see or read. Not what’s for lunch, etc.

I have access to interesting subject matter

[iemanja]

39. I constantly get friend requests from guys

with fake profiles: American names with all foreign friends, etc. I figure they are all grifters, so I delete them. I think they prey on middle-aged women.

[LeftInTX]

49. I do more than delete them. I block them.

[NurseJackie]

52. That should take care of it.

I do know that blocking is an option, but I've never had to use it. It seems to me that the friend requests I've received from unknown people are ALSO friends of friends... so I presume they accidentally clicked the "add friend" button as they were scrolling through the names that facebook often suggests.

[LeftInTX]

53. You can snoop on their profile to see if they're foreigners..

They will pose as John Jones, but when you check the people that like their posts or their friends, it's obvious

[Raine]

58. Me too and they most always show "themself" in a military uniform

like that's supposed encourage me to accept them as a friend, lol.

[iemanja]

64. Yeah, I get those too

Even showing Trump among their interests.

[joetheman]

40. I am not sure since FB keeps taking them away.

My Friends list keeps getting shorter and my friends have not unfriended or blocked me. I know this is the case because five of those who disappeared were my kids and grandkids and post every day on FB. They just disappeared from my list.

[NurseJackie]

46. Weird. I've had friends disappear too (also kids).

I guess they got bored with FB and just cancelled their accounts.

[Progressive Jones]

41. Over 2,000. Over 75% are music biz contacts and associates. nt

[pwb]

45. None.

.

[LeftInTX]

48. Right now 488..many are political contacts

I purge now and then...

I know most of them either in real life or via campaign work etc.

I do get weird friend requests and I block them because many are foreigners.

I sometimes have local friends, who seem to have friended me because they have a real estate business etc. I drop them.

[Ms. Toad]

50. 513.

The interesting thing is that I believe I have sent precisely 1 friend request. (I know I can count on one hand the number of friend requests I've sent.)

My mix of friends is pretty eclectic:

Students and univerity colleagues (politically mixed)
Relatives (politically mixed)
Members of healty support groups (cancer, alzheimers, PSC, TOS) (politically mixed)
Parents whose children I photographed for NILMDTS (conservative)
Quakers (liberal)
Queers (mostly Quaker) (liberal)
High school classmates and teachers (politiclly mixed, but leaning conservative)
Rape Crisis alumni (largely peer advocates) (mostly liberal)

[NurseJackie]

51. That's quite an assortment of friends and colleagues...

... I'll bet it would make quite an interesting gathering if they all got together for drinks and dinner.

[Ms. Toad]

57. I use my facebook as a virtual drinks and dinner.

We have pretty free ranging conversations on my timeline.

I've got a national faith group that has 3 main branches (and I've beeen the face of the entity for two of those). So quite a few come from that "tree." There are 100+ graduates each year who rely on me to get through the bar exam. And my spouse's family has 100+ family members just at the cousins level (and there are at least 3 generations below that, with some in each lower generation old enough to be playing on facebook).

We have a mini-get together for our annual holiday open house - it is quite an interesting gathering. We had to skip our 40th annual gathering last year. I guess we have to drop the "annual" or add an asterisk and still call it the 40th (if we are able to have it this year).

[CoopersDad]

55. 1,899 friends.

I am surprised to learn.

[NurseJackie]

56. I also had to check before answering my own poll. I wasn't sure...

... I knew it was under 100, but I didn't know how close to 100 it was.

[Tink41]

61. I used FB as an outlet.

It was a place I could say anything I wanted. I write way more than I actually speak to people. I'm better at expressing myself that way. I was fearful of it at first, as i had no interest in (friends) finding me. But I soon realized I could express myself there, things I'd never speak to someone. I loved it, until people didn't like what I had to say! Then, I disappeared.

[BornADemocrat]

63. More than I need

Only a handful would I consider actual "friends".

[electric_blue68]

66. Under 100...

Family, RL friends, friends of some friends.

Sites of interest that pop up Art, Music, Crafts, Science, Cooking, Science Fiction, Politics, Nature, History

[NurseJackie]

68. Very subversive interest groups, eh? (wink)

... mine include woodworking, sewing, RV-ing, home gardening and UK travel/history. (Oddly enough... I do not follow or subscribe to ANY political groups or politicians. I guess that Facebook is my escape from all that.)

[electric_blue68]

74. 👍 😁

Thanks. While I'll never get to check out, or try everything... at least I'm infrequently bored!


Ooooo, woodworking!
I love watching videos of wood turning raw wood pieces on the lathe!
What do you like to do?


Never really sewed, though I can hem, sew patches if needed, and proudly darned a thick yarned wool slipper sock for my sis.
Google is my friend - "how to darn a sock". 👍
My mom was a dress designer, and master seamstress (pre marriage). Our clothes looked like them came from Saks Fifth Ave!


My window sill garden (mini carrots, mini lettuce) died from my impatience back in the late '80's.
So I applaud out door ground, and indoor apartment container gardeners! 👏


I don't actually subscribe to political stuff other than DU, but stuff pops up my FB feed because my peeps and I talk about it, and they post sruff as well.

Where have you RV'd?
I never learned to drive as a born & bread NYC'r, but I drive a fair amount in my dreams, other than also walking, using the subway, and buses. 😄

[MineralMan]

69. 169. Family, Friends, Former Co-Workers, and High School Alums.

That's it, pretty much. Most, I don't hear from often, but I generally have some stuff to read anytime I go to Facebook.

[Baitball Blogger]

71. My personal note:

Some people receive more Friend Requests because of their businesses or social organizations. But they wouldn't refer to all of these people as "friends." Trust me on this point. I know someone who has over 600 friends. I have about 130. And back when we were talking to each other, she made it sound like I was her closest friend. Can't see how she came to that conclusion, because we had little to nothing in common.

I reluctantly accepted more Friend Requests after high school Reunions. And then when their political affiliations became known, I unfriended them.

Conclusion: People use the Friend option for different reasons. Those with the highest number of friends may not be using Facebook in the same way that many who have fewer numbers. Personally, I can't imagine why anyone would want a Facebook account if they couldn't speak freely about their political views. On the other hand, too many think that having political views is taboo. So, I would say that it is hard to generalize about the people who use Facebook.

One of the positive options are the recreational groups, like orchid, frogs and toads etc. It works like the old social newsgroups of the 90s.