Are your coworkers your friends?

NEW YORK - Studies have shown that workplace friendships are less important for Americans than they once were, so are you friends with your coworkers?

Across the nation, fewer people say they have a close friend at work and fewer people view workplace friendship as a priority in choosing a job. In fact, the United States has polled significantly lower than other countries when it came to time spent with coworkers outside of the workplace.

Dr. Cooper Lawrence, a psychologist, says this trend could be symptomatic of the quicker turnover many people now experience. Social media could also play a role here, since it offers us access to a broad range of friends made over the years.

That being said, Lawrence advises that workplace friendships could improve productivity, as long as the environment is not so competitive that you're forced to one day stab your workplace friends in the back.