SKOUT'S National BFF Day Survey Reveals Nearly Half of People Have a Best Friend They Met Online

SAN FRANCISCO, June 7, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- To celebrate National Best Friends Day (June 8, 2016), SKOUT, the global app that helps you meet new people and expand your social circle, recently conducted a survey among more than 3,000 people to learn more about best friends who meet online. More people are meeting friends in general online than ever before -- and this extends to finding a bestie. While 70% of people surveyed say they have an IRL (in real life) best friend, nearly half (48%) of people say they have a BFF they met online.

Additional highlights from Skout's National BFF Day survey include:

Women are more likely than men to have a BFF they met online.

• 52% of women surveyed say they have an online BFF, while 46% of men say the same.

People under the age of 30 are only slightly more likely to have an online BFF, but not by much!

• Don't assume that online friendships are a Millennial thing… 51% of people age 30 or under say they have an online bestie, compared to 44% of people ages 31-40 and 49% of people ages 41 or older.

A BFF who really gets you may not live nearby...

• 23% of people surveyed say their online BFF lives in a different country, and 28% say their online BFF lives in a different state.
• 50% say their online BFF lives fairly close, with 25% saying they're in the same city and 25% saying they live in the same state.

Many people have met their online BFF, IRL.

• 45% of people surveyed say they have met their online bestie in person, and 93% say they want to meet their online BFF IRL someday.

IRL or online, friendships are about caring.

• 70% of people surveyed say the best gift from a friend on BFF Day is a heartfelt message or chat session. Only 30% would prefer a gift.

"The person who really gets you, who listens, who is fun to talk to, and fun to laugh with isn't necessarily someone you see in real life very often, or even at all, and thanks to technology it's easier than ever to find that BFF and stay connected," said Christian Wiklund, co-founder and CEO of SKOUT. "Our survey showed that online BFFs are not displacing IRL BFFs, rather, online BFFs are an expansion of our circle of friends. And who doesn't like having more friends!?"

"The best thing about having online friends is the possibility to have contact with other cultures, shorten distances and share our experiences," said Lucas T, a Skouter from Brazil who met his best friend, a resident of St. Petersburg, Russia, through the SKOUT app.

To celebrate BFF Day, Skouters can give their online bestie a BFF virtual gift for free within the SKOUT app on June 8. To read more about BFF Day, and meet BFFs who met thanks to SKOUT, visit the SKOUT Blog: bit.ly/1RTgAJb

This survey was conducted online by SKOUT in May 2016 among 3,339 Skouters in the United States. To download SKOUT for iOS or Android, or to sign up online, visit www.skout.com. You can also find SKOUT on Facebook and Twitter.

About SKOUT
SKOUT is the largest global platform for meeting new people and expanding your social circle. The SKOUT community spans more than 180 countries and is available in 16 languages. SKOUT is dedicated to providing a platform through which people can easily and safely connect. The Andreessen Horowitz backed company was founded in 2007 and is headquartered in San Francisco. Visit skout.com to learn more.

SOURCE SKOUT

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