I would like to add that this might also be a cultural phenomenon. The article from the NY Times, and the case story started with a Philadephia family. From what I know from my own visits to the US, and friends that live in the US, and also from friends who moved away from the US to live in Europe, that indeed there seems to be a tendency to have shallow relationships and friendships. Mums in the US from what I hear tend to literally drive their children from one organized "free" time activity to the next, having a schedule for their kids like they would be a CEO.
In many places in Europe though, kids still come back from school, do their homework and after that just call a few friends and go meet with them. Yes, our kids also have their appointments, yes some of them also are in a football club or learn to play piano in the afternoon and whatnot, but the majority is still free to just go and play.
"To protect them from bullying".... what a bullshit. One, I don't think not having a best friend protects from being bullied or bullying other, and second what a poor poor poor life would kids (and adults) have with not at least one good, reliable friend.
Sometimes in life there may be a period where you don't have a friend, because not all friendships last forever. That's life... But at one point life will present you with a new friend. I don't really know how it works in the US, but over here friendship are real.
One of my friends who used to live in LA and who has completely moved to Europe once told me, that one of the main reason he left was that he was sick of the shallowness of friendships there. He told me he had a "friend" he was playing golf with since 20 years, and he new nothing really about him, because they would not really talk about things of a personal nature that truly matter. He realized that this was completely sick in a way and felt the urge to start over somewhere else.
Regards,
Frank