Nov
22
Is Our World Getting Smaller Or Are We Getting Smarter?
Posted by: Joseph Hong | November 22, 2011 | Leave a Comment
“The average distance in 2008 was 5.28 hops, while now it is 4.74” -Facebook
Between two individuals, there are “six degrees of separation” on average. However, Università degli Studi di Milano and Facebook’s study of 721 million Facebook users show a different degree. Facebook states that it is now only 4.74 degrees of separation on Facebook. Other outside research (Palo Alto) suggests that 92% of the Facebook users were separated by only four degrees.
The current degrees of separation is amazing. It is hard to believe that you will know anyone on this planet through 4.74 acquaintances. Although it is true that some of the friends in the Facebook friends list may be someone you are not too close with, or even a stranger for that matter, the fact that the degrees of separations are decreasing cannot be ignored. The numbers are more mind boggling when you realize that the population on Earth is past 7 billion. Does this mean that in the near future, as technology is being developed at an exponential rate, everyone around the world will know each other? If so, what will happen to everyone’s privacy? Will the laws of this world look different from today’s?