Social Networks - online and offline

Undoubtedly online social networking companies are mushrooming every day, getting funded and some existing ones flourishing. Personally, being an avid user of online social network "tools", I see them as good compliment to the face-to-face experiences professionally but never a replacement for them.

I was intrigued, but not at all surprised, when I heard this program titled "Marriages and Relationships" on On Point, on NPR, hosted by Tom Ashbrook on my way down to Monterey this last Thursday (Yeah - rough life :)

You can hear the full discourse here but here are the findings that did NOT surprise me:

"Married Americans report they have fewer close friends and confidants outside their marriage. Many have only their wife or husband to really talk to -- openly, honestly, intimately."

In the program they go on to say that studies show that an average American now has only 2.08 people to trust and share intimate details with..... it used to be approximately 3.0, 20 years ago!

One of the guests was Lynn Smith-Lovin, professor of sociology at Duke University and co-author of "Social Isolation in America: Change in Core Discussion Networks Over Two Decades"

I will leave it as a food for thought now but I wonder if there is a relationship between the two - online and offline social networks. I dont know.

How many "confidantes" do you have?

Anyway, time to build relationships offline - off for 6 wonderful days in green and wet OR for some wine and turkey by a fireplace and 2 sets of grandparents doting on their first grand daughter, my 9 month old Amelie!!!