Junior Doesn’t Have a lot of Friends? Don’t Worry About It — Dave’s Diary

Let’s assume you are a concerned parent and you’re watching your teen's social interactions.  Your kid seems to only have one close friend while other kids you know often hang out in groups. Should you be worried?Nope. And in fact, a new study reveals that sometimes having just one close friend can be more beneficial than a host of homies.

Researchers looked at 400-plus kids between the ages of 11 and 19 from low-income households. The children were asked about how they perceived the relationship they had with a best friend, with groups, and how they coped with unfavorable situations. The results shows that boys tended to rely on a single friend for guidance and emotional support, which made them face their problems with confidence and thus deal with them efficiently.

Girls had similar friends, but tended to hang out in groups, and were more likely to make riskier choices when dealing with their issues, such as drinking or doing drugs.

Researchers say the data suggests having a single close friend helps a child learn self-reliance and therefore face challenges more successfully. (Daily Mail)