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this is not based on any statistical data but on a vague sense of what's going on created with memes, conversations with friends, excerpts of articles read online.
Instant messaging is destroying groups. It's actually different to be a friend group and a group of friends (group of people where everyone is friends with each other). Friend group are formed where people meet and talk to each other and function as a group.
Instant messaging allows for people to break being a group. Being in the same place as other people is no longer enough to be part of the group, now you are split into silos based on chats on instant communicators. 1-1 relations can be initiated so easily that people get FOMO.