Social Networks

Social Networks

David Perell, in a short-sleeve white shirt, sits in front of a blurred background with plants, looking slightly to the side.
You no longer need an army of followers to stand out as a writer — “one great piece is all it takes,” says Perell.
Illustration of a thumbs up and thumbs down, resembling a like button and dislike button, on a black background, both partially covered with red scribble marks.
Will platforms continue to offer the like button as an all-purpose tool — or will each of the button’s various functions exist in new forms?
An open book with abstract designs: the left page displays a horizontal row of color blocks, while the right page features a hand touching a network of connected circles, highlighting strong connections.
Sure, “who you know” matters — but your best contacts will be the ones you don’t know very well.
A plant with leaves and roots resembling a dandelion has four glowing light bulbs in place of flowers, creating innovation clusters against a black background.
Studying why innovation clusters form can shed light on how to better promote research and growth.
A human hand reaches toward a robotic hand, which includes a speech bubble with mathematical code. A pixelated pink background completes the scene.
Man seeking meaningful relationship at the intersection of on-demand empathy and Rule 34.
A graphical representation of network connections superimposed on a dark map, highlighting major nodes with bright orange and yellow lines.
Digital analyses of Enlightenment-era letters are teaching us a thing or two about Locke, Voltaire, and others.
A group of people standing in a circle.
Human civilization has always survived periods of change. Will our rapidly evolving technological era be an exception to the rule?
A woman shopping in an ALDI grocery store.
To see a true cross-section of American society, head to Applebee's, Buffalo Wild Wings, IHOP, Chili’s, and Olive Garden.
A black t-shirt featuring pictures of friends.
Since 2012, the amount of time that teenagers spend socializing in person has plummeted. Is it a coincidence that depression is more common?
A person standing on top of a rock in the water.
Claims of a "loneliness epidemic" aren't based on robust data. Loneliness might be a problem, but it's not worse than it was in the past.
A man sitting at a counter in a restaurant with friends.
The lack of friendship is particularly a problem for men. But there are easy ways to make friends.
An abstract concept of a man and a woman arguing with each other.
There are three barriers we need to overcome to have better, more productive arguments.
tribalism
From politics to culture, we blame “tribalism” for humanity’s problems. This explanation is entirely wrong.
John Templeton Foundation
dark triad
Managers who are able to identify and understand dark salespeople can manipulate them to benefit the company. What could be more Machiavellian than that?
A new technique for analyzing networks can tell who wields soft power.
People tend to underestimate how much a friend they’ve lost contact with would enjoy a simple note saying "hi."
Research sheds light on social behavior of these mysterious predators.
personal branding
Brands manufacture meaning through consensus; people must strive to create their own.
When actual people correct misinformation online, it can be as effective, if not more so, as when a social media company labels something as questionable.
wordle
Wordle activates both the language and logic parts of our brain and give us a nice boost of dopamine, whether we win or lose.
popular baby names
Humans seemingly have opposing desires to fit in and to be unique. The interplay between these might drive the evolution of fads.
Visiting even one friend can undo all the good work that social distancing has accomplished. Over the past few months, people all over the world have come to realize just […]