New research from Michigan State University (MSU) has found that having connections with people from different social circles is the best way to stay informed, whether they are close friends or casual acquaintances.
This challenges a long-held social science theory that emphasizes casual acquaintances, known as “weak ties,” as the main source of new information.
Zachary Neal, a psychology professor at MSU and the study’s author, explains that it’s not about how close you are to someone, but whether they can connect you to new groups of people.
“When it comes to hearing about new things, it doesn’t matter if someone is just a casual acquaintance or your closest friend.
What matters is that they can help you tap into other social circles,” Neal said.
The study, published in Network Science, looked at over 50 real-life social networks and also simulated 2,500 social networks to examine how new ideas and information spread.
These real networks came from settings like school and work, while the simulated ones allowed researchers to explore even more possibilities.
The findings suggest that one of the most influential theories in social science, called the Strength of Weak Ties theory, needs to be reconsidered.
This theory, developed about 50 years ago, claims that casual acquaintances are especially valuable because they expose us to new ideas and information.
However, Neal believes this theory doesn’t fully apply to real-life situations. “Although the Strength of Weak Ties theory has been very influential, it makes some assumptions about social networks that usually don’t match reality,” Neal explained.
According to him, the theory places too much emphasis on whether your relationship with someone is weak or strong, when the real key is whether that person connects you to people outside your usual social group.
So, what does this mean in practical terms? Neal’s study suggests that it’s not necessary to prioritize having many casual acquaintances just to stay informed.
Instead, it’s important to make sure that some of the people you know are part of completely different social circles.
Whether these connections are strong (close friends) or weak (casual acquaintances) is less important than the fact that they give you access to a broader range of information and ideas.
This kind of connection, known as a “bridge,” helps us learn about new things, such as job opportunities or the latest news and trends.
Neal also points out that these bridging connections could play an important role in reducing polarization and misunderstandings. “Our bridging social ties not only connect us to new information, but also to new ways of thinking about the world,” Neal said.
In summary, if you want to stay in the loop and learn new things, you don’t need to fill your life with casual acquaintances. Instead, make sure you’re interacting with a diverse set of people, including some who are part of different social groups.
This way, you’ll stay well-informed and might even gain new perspectives on the world around you.
Source: Michigan State University.
