Pew research has revealed some interesting statistics about teens, technology, and friendships. Some readers of NTI can probably remember how we used to meet friends—school, next door neighbors, friends of friends, and so forth. Now if teens want to meet a new friend they go online. They maintain their friendship by playing a video game with 20-30 of their "closest friends," again online. For teenagers, many of the rituals of friendship (including losing friends) have moved online. 57 percent of teens say they have met a new friend online, and the two most common places to find new friends are social media and online gaming. To maintain their friendships, 57 percent of teens say they text daily with their friends. Regarding boys, 38 percent believe their gamer handle is one of the three most important things you need to know about them, and 57 percent say they've met a new friend playing video games.

Source:

Amanda Lenhart, “Teens, Technology and Friendships,” Pew Research Center (8-6-15)