Social Media has proven to be one of mankind’s most convenient platforms, by making it absurdly easy to post your opinions, ideas, and information to the world in a matter of seconds. However, we must ask if convenience is really such a blessing. “The Limits of Friendship” gives insight into the importance of the Dunbar Number, a social specification scale that can date social groups back centuries. What can be taken in after interpreting the Number and its importance to understanding social order is the effects of the increase of social media use and how it distorts the real meaning of the Number. Konnikova states “It’s quite conceivable that we might end up less social in the future, which would be a disaster because we need to be more social—our world has become so large” It gives an insight into the idea of what a real friend is and how media 

platforms like Instagram or Twitter could have a counterproductive response to interpretation of relationships.

Despite the apparent setbacks of expanded virtual lifestyle and how it can affect the brain negatively, there has yet to be any proof of what the real long lasting effects of being involved in social media fully can do. There has yet to be any tests based on a fully virtually active teenager or child. We also have yet to see how those changes might affect the body years later. Many of the stories that revolve around media platforms end fairly well and involve stories of redemption. They also express the possibilities that come from meeting so many different people at a time. Though the side effects of fully grown and fully virtual individuals is yet to be seen, there is no solid proof that suggests it can only be harmful to society.

Whether or not there is solid evidence denying the harmful effects of constant virtual interaction, there are still plenty of red flags pointing to why it has a negative effect overall. It has been stated in “The Limits of Friendship” article provides clear evidence that virtual media has negative effects. Studies have been conducted that compare the sizes of primate brains and how the size of the brain is affected by the size of one’s social class. The studies proved the larger one’s social circle, the blogger the size of their frontal lobe. This goes against the idea that spending more time on social media actually increases the amount of friends in your circle. There is little to no evidence stating that social media can actually improve one’s cognitive and social skills.