In social networks weak links are more important than strong ones.
The study of calls to more than four million cellular subscribers has shed light on how social networks function on such a large scale. This study will help sociologists understand how information is spread in society, and the designers of social networks on the Internet will be able to create their systems with scientifically literate positions.
The main result of a study conducted by a group of scientists from the UK, USA and Hungary was the conceptual conclusion that in some sense “weak” social connections between individuals (in the diagram in yellow) are more important for the existence of a social network than “strong” connections.
For the study, 4.6 million mobile subscribers were analyzed, which is about 20% of the population in one European country. Apparently, this is the first case in the world when scientists were able to obtain and analyze such a large sample of data on interpersonal communications (in which country and which operator issued private information - not reported). Previous similar studies on landline telephone lines could not be objective, because the home telephone is used by different people.
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In the social network of 4.6 million, 7 million social connections were revealed, that is, reciprocal calls from one subscriber to another and back, if callbacks were made within 18 weeks. The frequency and duration of conversations was used to determine the strength of each social connection. By the way, calls at business rates were analyzed separately in order not to distort the overall picture of personal connections between people.
The diagram clearly shows that it is precisely weak social ties (one or two callbacks for 18 weeks) that bind together a large social network. If these connections are removed, the network will break up into separate pieces. If you remove strong links, then nothing terrible will happen to the network - it will remain united.
Scientists conclude that just casual acquaintances are the social phenomenon that binds a large society into a single whole. In this sense, a social network is very different from other types of global networks, such as the transport network, for example.
via New Scientist
The main result of a study conducted by a group of scientists from the UK, USA and Hungary was the conceptual conclusion that in some sense “weak” social connections between individuals (in the diagram in yellow) are more important for the existence of a social network than “strong” connections.
For the study, 4.6 million mobile subscribers were analyzed, which is about 20% of the population in one European country. Apparently, this is the first case in the world when scientists were able to obtain and analyze such a large sample of data on interpersonal communications (in which country and which operator issued private information - not reported). Previous similar studies on landline telephone lines could not be objective, because the home telephone is used by different people.
')
In the social network of 4.6 million, 7 million social connections were revealed, that is, reciprocal calls from one subscriber to another and back, if callbacks were made within 18 weeks. The frequency and duration of conversations was used to determine the strength of each social connection. By the way, calls at business rates were analyzed separately in order not to distort the overall picture of personal connections between people.
The diagram clearly shows that it is precisely weak social ties (one or two callbacks for 18 weeks) that bind together a large social network. If these connections are removed, the network will break up into separate pieces. If you remove strong links, then nothing terrible will happen to the network - it will remain united.
Scientists conclude that just casual acquaintances are the social phenomenon that binds a large society into a single whole. In this sense, a social network is very different from other types of global networks, such as the transport network, for example.
via New Scientist
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/7494/
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