How to Be a Better Human

Am I Normal? with Mona Chalabi: How many friends do I need?

Oct 25, 2021

Mona Chalabi, a data journalist known for her work on understanding societal expectations, dives into the realities of friendships in today's world. She discusses the emotional toll of pandemic isolation, revealing insights on how many friends we truly need. Evolutionary psychologist Robin Dunbar's research highlights how relationships evolve with life stages. Chalabi maps her connections against these norms, prompting listeners to reflect on their own friendships and the changing dynamics of social interactions in modern life.

23:25

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Episode guests

Mona Chalabi

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Episode notes

Intro

2min

Navigating Post-Pandemic Friendships

7min

Motherhood and the Evolution of Friendship

6min

The Complexity of Friendships and Time Investment

3min

Friendship Dynamics in a Pandemic World

9min

Friendships Across Generations in Later Life

5min

Time with friends just isn’t the same with a screen in between you. That’s a struggle many have faced recently, with half of Americans saying they’ve lost touch with at least one friend during the pandemic. It can be sad, but is falling out of touch with friends normal? How many relationships should we maintain, and what are the different kinds of friendships we need anyways? Evolutionary psychologist Robin Dunbar has been studying social relationships for 50 years, and he has answers. Data journalist Mona Chalabi maps out her own relationships against the averages, and invites us to do the same. This is an episode of Am I Normal? with Mona Chalabi, another podcast from the TED Audio Collective. You can find and follow it wherever you're listening to this. To learn more about "How to Be a Better Human," host Chris Duffy, or find footnotes and additional resources, please visit: go.ted.com/betterhuman

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