Social contagions are real. Now, thanks to researchers from the University of Pittsburgh, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and Harvard University, science can prove it.
The mathematics and engineering departments from the three schools worked together to discover why simple decisions, like where a person chooses to shop, and more complex decisions, like vaccinating one’s child, can be influenced by the thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors of others—both near and far.
Social Contagions
Before the study, scientists believed that people were mainly influenced by “clustered ties”—or relationships—existing in close-knit groups that created an optimal environment for spreading complex behaviors. In other words, peer pressure within a person’s social spheres could influence decisions and cause that specific behavior to spread—almost like a virus.“A long tie is a connection between people who are far from each other in the social network,” Mr. Rahimian said in an email to The Epoch Times. “If we know each other but none of our friends, and friends of friends, and friends of friends of friends know each other, then our connection is a long tie.”
Social Media Showcases Best Example of Long Ties
Due to social media, long ties can connect people between cities, states, and countries, the research team said. Connecting to people through Facebook, X, TikTok, or Instagram enables an individual to reach broader groups of people with different backgrounds.
“Given their developmental stage, adolescents are a population prone to social contagion not only because they may be especially susceptible to the influence of social media, but also to that of their peers,” the study authors wrote.
Social contagions have been implicated in their ability to influence anything from eating disorders to drug and alcohol use to gun violence, according to the study.
Mr. Rahimian and his team believe more work on the subject is warranted.
“We are interested in the implications of these results for a better understanding of network structures that facilitate the spread of bursting activity in various brain regions,” Jonathan Rubin, a University of Pittsburgh mathematics department professor, said in a news release.
