Maintaining friendships requires more effort as we get older, says psychologist Robin Dunbar. Dunbar: "At some point we think we already have friends, we stop giving new people the chance to get closer" Time constraints are an important reason why we can't make friends as smoothly as our childhood, she says.
"Being "adults" means that we have gained greater awareness, and it is this same awareness that makes us more vulnerable to the risks of prejudging others," Dunbar says.