Internet partly to blame for your lack of close friends?

"Duke and University of Arizona researchers are citing the Internet as one of the main contributing factors to a shrinking of social networks among Americans. People say they have fewer people they can talk to about important stuff, even if they are talking to lots more people from all over the place about unimportant stuff online." (here)

As far as Americans are concerned, I'd think that longer working hours - rather than the Internet - can explain why people don't feel like they have time to share important things. Let's do it the European way and work 35 hours a week.

Apparently, between 1985 and 2004, the average American's circle of "core" confidants shrank from 3 persons to 2; and the number of people who said they have "no one" to talk to about important things more than doubled, from 10% to 25%.

1 out of 4 Americans have no one to talk to about impottant things, that's scary! It seems to me that not having close confidants is not good for your physical and mental health. If you add obesity, you have one foot in the grave already!