Social Media: Are Your Friends Making You Stupider ?

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The question may seem provocative, but it deserves to be asked at a time when our social interactions are played out as much online as in real life. In the era of all-powerful social networks, where information – true or false – circulates at the At lightning speed, our digital connections are shaping our worldview, for better and sometimes for worse.

On the one hand, these platforms promise us unlimited access to knowledge and exchanges. On the other hand, they also lock us in in algorithmic bubbles where the echo of our own opinions resonates endlessly and where we sometimes think we know everything. Between viral fake news and persistent conspiracy theories, sorting out the true from the false can sometimes be an obstacle course. In this informational maelstrom, a recent study has shaken up our certainties about the value of our online social connections. Should we prioritize quantity or quality ? Close friends or distant acquaintances ? And what if the key lay elsewhere ?

The theory of “weak ties” undermining

For half a century, the theory of the “strength of weak ties”, a pillar of the social sciences, has reigned supreme. Its postulate? Your distant acquaintances may be more likely to provide you with new information than your immediate circle. However, Zachary Neal, a professor of psychology at Michigan State University, has challenged this dogma in a study published in Network Science.

“Whether it's your best friend or a casual acquaintance, it doesn't matter. What matters is their ability to open you up to other social circles,” Neal says. A statement that invites us to rethink the value of our online and offline connections.

The study, which looked at more than 50 real social networks and 2,500 simulated networks, arrives at an unequivocal conclusion: it is not the weak links themselves that make the difference, but their capacity to serve as “bridges” between different social bubbles. This questioning is reminiscent of Umberto Eco's reflections on “semiological guerrilla warfare”. Faced with the proliferation of fake news, the Italian thinker already advocated a critical approach to information to discern the true from the false, based on the diversity of sources and the confrontation of points of view.

The importance of “social bridges” in the digital age

We are navigating in an era of information overload, and in order not to get lost, the quality of our social connections becomes essential. Neal, armed with his new approach, sends a big kick into the anthill: “The theory of the strength of weak ties is based on assumptions that do not match reality. It focused on the intensity of the tie, when it should have focused on its ability to get you out of your social bubble ».

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This notion of ” social bridges ” takes on its full meaning in the era of social networks. Our news feeds often trap us in echo chambers, showing us mostly information that confirms our existing opinions. So these connections that open us up to new horizons become essential for our critical thinking. They connect us not only to new information, but also to new ways of seeing the world.

François Allard-Huver, in his article on fake news, underlines the importance of this diversity: “Identifying and stopping the spread of false information requires learning and educating the public on social networks about the mechanisms of production, dissemination and circulation of content in the age of the attention and click economy.” Social bridges thus appear as real bulwarks against disinformation and the growing polarization of opinions.

Towards a new approach to social connections

So the frantic race for contacts on LinkedIn or followers on X is over. Neal's study invites us to review our approach to social networks. Rather than trying to accumulate contacts, it is better to cultivate relationships that open us up to different perspectives, distant or not. This approach could well be the key to navigating the sometimes overwhelming flood of information,

It also echoes the work of Hannah Arendt, cited by Allard-Huver, who was already questioning the fragility of truth in the public space: “Is it in the essence of truth to be powerless or in the essence of power to be deceptive ? ». In other words, the philosopher was drawing a parallel between the relationship between truth and effectiveness, suggesting that truth might lack the power to transform things. While power, on the other hand, would be naturally inclined to manipulate or obscure the truth in order to maintain its control.

In this context, our social connections are therefore our best weapon to challenge our own opinions, form new ones, and ultimately, to sharpen our critical thinking even further. So, the next time you are tempted to sort through your Facebook friends, perhaps think twice. This somewhat distant contact, with sometimes surprising opinions, could well be your best ally to stay informed and… intelligent!

• Social networks lock us in bubbles, but diverse connections are essential to stay well informed and avoid misinformation.
• Zachary Neal's study challenges the theory of “weak ties” : the important thing is not the intensity of the connections, but their ability to open us up to other social circles.
• In the era of fake news, cultivating relationships that expose us to new perspectives is key to refining our critical thinking and avoiding polarization.

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