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Have YOU reached peak friendship? Study reveals popularity is all downhill after 25 (and men have MORE friends than women)

Researchers examined call data from millions of people across age groups
Study found people have the highest number of connections at age 25
After 25, these acquaintances will decline steadily, and plateau from 45-55
After age 55, the numbers of connections will again begin to decline

Published: 13:58 EST, 6 April 2016 | Updated: 17:49 EST, 6 April 2016

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As people get older, their social networks wax and wane before ultimately fizzling down to a small group of close acquaintances.

According to a new study, people will have the highest number of friends around the time they reach 25.

But, these numbers begin to decline soon after, the researchers say.

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In both an overall trend (left) and the male-female results(right), people were found to have the highest number of connections at age 25. Then, these numbers begin to decrease

In the study published today in Royal Society Open Science, researchers from Aalto and Oxford Universities analysed the cell phone communications of 3.2 million users in Europe.

The team looked at the calling patterns (excluding text messages) between pairs of people of known age and gender in 2007.

Overall, the researchers found that peak friendship would occur at around 25 years old.

At this age, people are using their phones to communicate with others more so than any other group.

For the most part, the researchers say people are focusing on roughly 15 acquaintances each month.

When looking at age alone, the number of connections will decrease in the 20 years that follow.

And, at age 45, these contacts will plateau for roughly a decade.

Once a person reaches 55, friendships will again begin to decrease steadily.

WHAT THE STUDY FOUND

The recently published study found that a person's peak friendship occurs at around 25 years old.

Both men and women reach their highest number of connections at 25, the researchers say, but males in this group had more acquaintances than females.

In the 20 years that follow, the number of connections will decrease, up until age 45, and this will happen more quickly for men.

After age 39, the researchers found, women have a higher number of connections than men.

As people get older, their social networks wax and wane before ultimately fizzling down to a small group of close acquaintances. According to a new study, people will have the highest number of friends around the time they reach 25. But, these numbers begin to decline soon after, the researchers say

In younger groups, people were mostly communicating with peers of similar age, the study found.

Then for both genders, a ‘stabilization’ period occurs between ages 45 and 55, when the number of acquaintances plateaus.

After age 50, people were found to largely be in contact with a younger generation.

During this time, the researchers suggest people are working to maintain communication with their children, which have by then become adults and possibly gotten married and had their own kids.

While the trends were similar in the broader sense, the researchers also found varying patterns between the different genders throughout the ages.

Both men and women reach their highest number of connections at 25, but males in this group had more acquaintances than females.

As these numbers decline up until age 45, the decrease will happen more quickly for men.

After age 39, the researchers found, women have a higher number of connections than men.

As people get older, the researchers also noticed a difference in the ages of the acquaintances they’re contacting.

In younger groups, people were mostly communicating with peers of similar age, the study found.

Once a person reaches 55, friendships will begin to decrease steadily. While the study examined these relationships in a phone-based setting, the team says these findings correspond closely to face-to-face networks as well

For both genders, a ‘stabilization’ period occurs between ages 45 and 55, when the number of acquaintances plateaus.

After age 50, people were found to largely be in contact with a younger generation.

During this time, the researchers suggest people are working to maintain communication with their children, which have by then become adults and possibly gotten married and had their own kids.

And on the whole, people were found to be communicating most frequently a member of the opposite sex, which the researchers presume to be the spouse.

While the study examined these relationships in a phone-based setting, the team says these findings correspond closely to face-to-face networks as well.

‘People will exploit whatever means of communication is available in order to achieve their particular social goals,’ the authors write.

‘Thus, we expect the broad principle revealed in this study to apply more or less universally in all cultures.’