Overview
This lecture discusses the "Six Degrees of Separation" theory, its origins, and how modern social networking has shortened the degrees between people.
Origins of Six Degrees of Separation
- The "Six Degrees of Separation" theory suggests anyone is at most six steps away from any other person.
- Stanley Milgram, a social psychologist, coined the phrase after the 1967 "small world experiment."
- Milgram's experiment involved mailing a package from the US West Coast to a Boston stockbroker through acquaintances.
- The average number of steps needed was six in Milgram’s original study.
Impact of Modern Social Networks
- Social platforms like LinkedIn use connection labels (2nd, 3rd connections) to show degrees of separation.
- Facebook shows mutual friends and allows messaging with friends of friends if enough connections exist.
- Social networking sites make these degrees more visible and easier to navigate.
Research on Degrees in the 21st Century
- A 2011 study by Facebook and the University of Milan analyzed 721 million users and 69 billion friendships.
- 99.6% of users were connected by paths within five degrees.
- 92% of users were separated by only four degrees.
- The average distance between all people on Facebook dropped from 5.28 (2008) to 4.74 (2011).
Key Terms & Definitions
- Six Degrees of Separation — The idea that everyone is connected by a chain of six or fewer acquaintances.
- Small World Experiment — Milgram’s study testing how many steps it took for a package to reach a target via acquaintances.
- Degree of Separation — The number of direct or indirect social connections linking two people.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Reflect on how social networking might further reduce degrees of separation.
- Consider how your own online connections demonstrate this theory.