Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 31, 2026

Integrating Computerized Linguistic and Social Network Analyses to Capture Addiction Recovery Capital in an Online Community
Published on: May 31, 2019
The strength of long-range ties in population-scale social networks
Patrick S Park1, Joshua E Blumenstock2, Michael W Macy3,4
1Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA. patpark@umich.edu mwm14@cornell.edu.
Abstract:
Long-range connections that span large social networks are widely assumed to be weak, composed of sporadic and emotionally distant relationships. However, researchers historically have lacked the population-scale network data needed to verify the predicted weakness. Using data from 11 culturally diverse population-scale networks on four continents-encompassing 56 million Twitter users and 58 million mobile phone subscribers-we find that long-range ties are nearly as strong as social ties embedded within a small circle of friends. These high-bandwidth connections have important implications for diffusion and social integration.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Social Proof
Social Scripts
pH Scale
Social Traps
Range
15.9; 16.1; 15.2; 14.8; 15.8; 15.9; 16.0; 15.5
Measurements of the amount of soda in a 16-ounce can vary since different subjects record these measurements or since the exact amount - 16 ounces of liquid, was not...
Conservation of Small Populations

