The old adage that we are all six personal connections away from knowing everyone in the world is no longer accurate according to Facebook- who claim it is now just 3.57. To mark its 12th anniversary, Facebook wanted to test the age-old “six degrees of separation” theory, using the social media giant’s data set of […]
The old adage that we are all six personal connections away from knowing everyone in the world is no longer accurate according to Facebook- who claim it is now just 3.57.
To mark its 12th anniversary, Facebook wanted to test the age-old “six degrees of separation” theory, using the social media giant’s data set of 1.6 billion people.
“This is a significant reflection of how closely connected the world has become,” the firm says.
“When people connect, powerful things happen and lives are changed.
“We see this on Facebook every day, whether it’s an exchange with an old friend that brings a smile to your face or a new connection that changes your life path, or even the world.”
It means that each person in the world (at least among the 1.59 billion people active on Facebook) is connected to every other person by an average of three and a half other people.
“Six degrees of separation” is where you pick a random person and connect yourself to them through other people, in six steps.
The theory had become something of an urban myth but Facebook’s research shows it might actually have been too generous.
Although it’s important to remember the 3.57 average is based on people with Facebook profiles, not everyone on Earth.
Mark Zuckerberg says he’s targeting five billion users by 2030 so the average may well shift again.
Facebook is also letting its users see their own ‘separation score’ via this link.
Facebook Messenger has also introduced two new sets of stickers called “Best Friends” and “Friendship” that can be downloaded free and used in conversations.
Read the official blog here
