Social Circle

The old folk concept that our personal health behaviors rub off on those around us has received a staggering amount of scientific support of late. Over the last few years, study after study has shown that weight gain, drug and alcohol use, even loneliness and depression aren't islands unto themselves but are powerfully contagious — capable of spreading within our social networks just as germs scatter after a sneeze. If your friends are smokers, you tend to light up too, studies show.

Keaton Row has added a new twist to online shopping. The website, created by Harvard Business School graduates Cheryl Han and Elenor Mak, pairs shoppers with fashion advisors from all over the country, based on a personal style Q&A given to each new member who signs onto the site. Think online dating but with a refreshed and personalized wardrobe, not a first date, as the goal. "What we realized is that people want a back-to-basics, personal touch when shopping online," Han says.

Social networking has been described as the contemporary way that people interact. While that may be true, an individual's social success in the virtual world doesn't appear to carry over into the real world, according to a new study. Previous studies on how the Internet affects relationships have produced mixed findings. Some research shows that lots of social networking activity has a negative effect on social life while others suggest it enhances one's social circle. The new study, led by Thomas V. Pollet of the University of Groningen in the Netherlands, examined 117 people age 18 to 63. They filled out an extensive questionnaire about the time they spend on instant messaging and social network sites, the number of relationships they had overall and the closeness of those relationships.

The number of Americans who consider themselves to be in the lower class is growing, rising to a third of Americans from a quarter four years ago. The Pew Research Center surveyed 2,508 adults and concluded that those who place themselves on the lower income rungs tend to be more pessimistic and stressed and less secure and satisfied than their better-off peers. The group of people ages 18 to 29 who consider themselves in the lower class ballooned in 2012 to nearly 40% from 25% in 2008.

Keaton Row has added a new twist to online shopping. The website, created by Harvard Business School graduates Cheryl Han and Elenor Mak, pairs shoppers with fashion advisors from all over the country, based on a personal style Q&A given to each new member who signs onto the site. Think online dating but with a refreshed and personalized wardrobe, not a first date, as the goal. "What we realized is that people want a back-to-basics, personal touch when shopping online," Han says.

The number of Americans who consider themselves to be in the lower class is growing, rising to a third of Americans from a quarter four years ago. The Pew Research Center surveyed 2,508 adults and concluded that those who place themselves on the lower income rungs tend to be more pessimistic and stressed and less secure and satisfied than their better-off peers. The group of people ages 18 to 29 who consider themselves in the lower class ballooned in 2012 to nearly 40% from 25% in 2008.

Aries (March 21-April 19): You like things to stay the way they are. Knowing what's likely to happen next makes you feel relaxed and secure. Enjoy it while it lasts. Taurus (April 20-May 20): What would your life look like if you didn't have a worry in the world? Get a vision and analyze it — there is magic and direction there. Gemini (May 21-June 21): You can focus ahead when that's what's needed. But right now it is necessary to use your peripheral vision.

Evolutionary anthropologist Robin Dunbar has a famous theory that the number of people with whom one can maintain a close relationship is limited to 150 by the size of the neocortex, the part of the brain used for conscious thought and language. The Internet has made it quicker and easier to connect with far-flung acquaintances, but Dunbar says it's impossible to overcome that basic brain programming. With high rollers on Facebook boasting up to 5,000 "friends," digital friendship has become increasingly indiscriminate.

Jim and Kristy Hake hardly consider themselves hawks. The couple met in yoga class 12 years ago. Jim, a computer software guru, has helped spread technology to developing countries in Africa and investigated human rights abuses in El Salvador. Kristy, an artist, spent two years living in Southeast Asia, helping resettle Thai and Cambodian refugees.

Ever since my kid got a dog, my social horizons have broadened. Postal workers have forged contacts with me, to tell me they couldn't deliver my mail. Neighbors engage in chats over the hedge ("Boy, she was barking last night!"). And I am well-known at the vet's office, where we've engaged in stimulating discussions about ear mange. Of course, many of us have heard that having pets is supposed to lower stress and make us healthier.

Aries (March 21-April 19): You've wanted a chance to show someone how much he or she means to you. You'll now have the perfect opportunity to do so. Taurus (April 20-May 20): A certain project seems to be taking over your life in some ways, including financial. Don't emphasize how expensive it is. Gemini (May 21-June 21): You are paying attention and firing on all cylinders. You'll receive all the messages clearly the first time, including the nonverbal cues.

Facebook Inc.'s efforts to portray itself as a trustworthy guardian of the Internet's town square are being undermined — once again — by accusations that the social network launched a covert smear campaign against rival Google Inc. The world's largest online network acknowledged Thursday that it had paid a high-powered public relations firm to push news organizations to report that a new Google feature was putting users' personal data in...

Social networking has been described as the contemporary way that people interact. While that may be true, an individual's social success in the virtual world doesn't appear to carry over into the real world, according to a new study. Previous studies on how the Internet affects relationships have produced mixed findings. Some research shows that lots of social networking activity has a negative effect on social life while others suggest it enhances one's social circle. The new study, led by Thomas V. Pollet of the University of Groningen in the Netherlands, examined 117 people age 18 to 63. They filled out an extensive questionnaire about the time they spend on instant messaging and social network sites, the number of relationships they had overall and the closeness of those relationships.

With the rise of the Internet, people began looking for love on websites such as Match.com and EHarmony.com. With the growing popularity of social networks, they're turning to services like AreYouInterested.com. The dating application, available on Facebook and Apple Inc.'s iPhone, lets users see beyond the personal details of potential mates to their social circles, including friends and family. AreYouInterested.com is adding more than 50,000 users a day, according to parent company Snap Interactive Inc. Match.

Evolutionary anthropologist Robin Dunbar has a famous theory that the number of people with whom one can maintain a close relationship is limited to 150 by the size of the neocortex, the part of the brain used for conscious thought and language. The Internet has made it quicker and easier to connect with far-flung acquaintances, but Dunbar says it's impossible to overcome that basic brain programming. With high rollers on Facebook boasting up to 5,000 "friends," digital friendship has become increasingly indiscriminate.

The old folk concept that our personal health behaviors rub off on those around us has received a staggering amount of scientific support of late. Over the last few years, study after study has shown that weight gain, drug and alcohol use, even loneliness and depression aren't islands unto themselves but are powerfully contagious — capable of spreading within our social networks just as germs scatter after a sneeze. If your friends are smokers, you tend to light up too, studies show.

When Orange County businessman and arts supporter Mark Chapin Johnson was quoted in a society column that he would be willing to spend $40,000 a year on a would-be wife's wardrobe, the buzz around some social circles was: "Is that all?" "Some of these ladies spend a lot more than that," said one Newport Beach woman, a regular on the scene. Of course, many others found the offer to be exceedingly generous. "That's a lot of money--where's he been all my life?" quipped Barbara Magness, owner of B.

Jim and Kristy Hake hardly consider themselves hawks. The couple met in yoga class 12 years ago. Jim, a computer software guru, has helped spread technology to developing countries in Africa and investigated human rights abuses in El Salvador. Kristy, an artist, spent two years living in Southeast Asia, helping resettle Thai and Cambodian refugees.