How long it takes to make a friend

It takes 200 hours — a little over eight days — of time spent together to form a best-friend bond, according to recent research.

A casual friendship takes 40 to 60 hours to establish.

Professor of Communication Studies at the University of Kansas, Jeffrey A. Hall, says most people have between 20 and 40 friends in total, but only one or two very close friends.

“Men are actually, compared to women, less good at maintaining their friendships over their lifetimes,” he said.

“It’s a risk factor of being lonely, and a risk factor of losing friends, being male.”

Ross has another measure of friendship: You’re real friends when you’ve been to someone’s house, and they’ve been to yours.

Press PLAY below to hear about the research