God love the Times for continuing to throw these kinds of stories out there. The world that gets described in their parenting stories is so dystopian and over-the-top–“friendship coaches” to help kids socialize, schools trying to keep kids from having best friends because it can lead to cliques–that I get caught up and anxious for a moment. And then I remember that it’s all bullshit, nothing more than a claptrap fiction comprising a few self-serving quotes and marginally relevant studies.
I can only hope the bajillion people who will read and Tweet and Digg and FB this (including educators who will be tempted to turn around and outlaw Best Friends in their schools) realize that it’s fake, too.
I had the same seizure of tension when I read the article. I can only hope you’re right or take solace in the fact that someone else outside my house agrees with how dumb the idea is.