2024-06-04 11:00:05
Sociodiversity, that is, the diversity of human opinions, ideas and behaviors, is a key driver of many positive advances. But how can this diversity be maintained, or even encouraged, in our increasingly connected societies?
In a study recently published in the Journal of the Royal Society Open ScienceDirk Helbing and his colleague found that sociodiversity is less present in centralized social networks, where a few key figures are connected to many people. These networks, often observed on platforms like Instagram and X, reinforce the phenomenon of the “rich getting richer.”
According to Andrea Musso, this phenomenon amplifies centralization and stifles minority opinions, thus reducing sociodiversity. In these networks, minority opinions are quickly overwhelmed by those of the majority, which can lead to the loss of valuable ideas. It is therefore crucial to create spaces where new ideas can emerge without being immediately confronted with the majority.
To promote sociodiversity, Musso suggests decentralizing social networks. A simple action like unfollowing certain influencers can foster a greater diversity of ideas, leading to more innovation and economic prosperity.
The researchers used a new method to assess a network’s ability to foster sociodiversity, validated on both synthetic and real networks. Their method demonstrated that different networks exhibit radically different levels of diversity, even with similar rates of imitation and innovation.
The results of this study show that the structure of social networks plays a crucial role in maintaining opinion diversity. This research has important implications not only for opinion formation, but also for diverse domains such as the spread of disease, the effectiveness of disaster responses, and the emergence of cooperation.
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