Human behavior often seems mysterious and hard to predict, and despite this, it follows rules and patterns that can be observed and studied. One such pattern is known as Dunbar’s number. Dunbar’s number is, in fact, a series of numbers that represent the number of friends a typical person has that fit varying categories of familiarity and closeness. Maria Konnikova writes about Robin Dunbar’s research in her essay “The Limits of Friendship.” Robin Marantz Henig discusses the current plight of American millennials trying and failing to adjust to the world fast enough and become adults in “What is it About 20-Somethings?” Social media allows one to expand the number of people that they know, which may affect the accuracy of Dunbar’s number.
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Henig’s essay is about this phenomenon that is occurring among American youth. She says “Sociologists traditionally define the ‘transition to adulthood’ as marked by five milestones: completing school, leaving home, becoming financially independent, marrying, and having a child.” (Henig 199-200) All five milestones have become increasingly difficult for millennials to achieve for varying reasons. It is harder to finish school or become financially independent when so much more work is needed to do so. It is easier for people with strong circles of support to overcome most challenges. Konnikova says “in one study, [researchers] examined pain thresholds: how long a person could keep her hand in a bucket of ice water (in a lab), or how long she could maintain a sitting position with no chair present (back against the wall, legs bent at a ninety degree angle) in the field” (238). It was shown that one could withstand the uncomfortable positions for longer periods of time after a positive face-to-face social interaction like laughter. The challenge of growing up and transitioning to adulthood in today’s world would be easier if millennials were better equipped to have the right people in their Dunbar numbers and to form lasting bonds with
Henig’s essay is about this phenomenon that is occurring among American youth. She says “Sociologists traditionally define the ‘transition to adulthood’ as marked by five milestones: completing school, leaving home, becoming financially independent, marrying, and having a child.” (Henig 199-200) All five milestones have become increasingly difficult for millennials to achieve for varying reasons. It is harder to finish school or become financially independent when so much more work is needed to do so. It is easier for people with strong circles of support to overcome most challenges. Konnikova says “in one study, [researchers] examined pain thresholds: how long a person could keep her hand in a bucket of ice water (in a lab), or how long she could maintain a sitting position with no chair present (back against the wall, legs bent at a ninety degree angle) in the field” (238). It was shown that one could withstand the uncomfortable positions for longer periods of time after a positive face-to-face social interaction like laughter. The challenge of growing up and transitioning to adulthood in today’s world would be easier if millennials were better equipped to have the right people in their Dunbar numbers and to form lasting bonds with