Hi, I'm Naila Boodoo. It's Monday, July 26.

Mask mandates are up, requests for college financial aid are down, and we're taking stock of our friendships.

Neuro research is out on friendships post-pandemic, and the takeaway? We have fewer close friends than we once did, and maybe that's not so bad. Now, this may have everything to do with a global pandemic. And the takeaway? We have fewer close friends than we once did. And maybe that's not so bad.

Now, this may have everything to do with a global pandemic, but a new American perspective study says,

we're talking to our friends less often and relying less on friends for support. Three things to know here.

First, it may not be just the pandemic. 30 years ago, 33% of U.S. adults reported

having 10 or more close friends, not counting their relatives. Today, that numbers down to 13%.

Second, in 1990, three-quarters of us said we had a best friend, but in 2021, just 59%. Third, 22% of Americans say they haven't made a new

friend in the past five years. So what does this all mean? Does the data point to a serious erosion

in the American community, or is this the inevitable, an even positive reaction to the first global pandemic of our generation?

Today, we explore what friendships mean in 2021 with Professor Suzanne Deggs White, who researches

all of this.

And that conversation in 15 seconds.

We're joined now by Suzanne Deggs White, who is chair and a professor of counseling and higher education at Northern Illinois University. She's also the author of Friends Forever. Hi, Suzanne. Thank you for joining us. Hi there. Thank you so much for having me as a guest. I wanted to start by asking you about research that I think many of us have probably heard during the pandemic.

How many friends do we actually need to be healthy, functioning individuals?

Is there an actual number?

I wish there were an actual number.

Like a doctor can write a prescription, you need to add three more friends to your friendscape.

But actually, it kind of varies. But the important thing is to have at least one good friend, one friend who you can

trust, who can offer support, and who can be there for you, and more importantly, for whom you can be

there. So one good friend is essential. And most folks find three to four good friends totally

adequate. And that seems to be the

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