The influence of online information and social relationships on social phenomena is multifaceted, impacting areas such as information acquisition, social behavior, and public opinion.

Key Insights

• Information Acquisition and Behavior:

  • The post-00s generation, who grew up with the Internet, rely heavily on online media for information, which affects their views on marriage and childbearing. This has led to phenomena such as online virtual partners, cloud love, and fear of marriage and childbirth
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  • Social media significantly influences purchasing behavior by enhancing customer relationships, which in turn affects purchasing decisions
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• Social Influence and Adoption:

  • The spread of innovations and behaviors through society is driven by social influence and social learning, often modeled as contagion processes. These models help explain the rapid spread of new trends and services
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  • Social influence theory has shown that viral phenomena are often induced by social networks, with computational social influence emerging as a key area of study to optimize social influence for applications like viral marketing
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• Polarization and Misinformation:

  • Social media can create "social bubbles" where individuals are exposed to a narrower spectrum of information sources, potentially leading to polarization and misinformation
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  • Influence operations on social media can promote propaganda and disinformation, posing significant threats that require sophisticated countermeasures
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• Crisis Response:

  • During crises like the COVID-19 pandemic, social influence can determine the adoption of life-saving information. Models that incorporate psychosocial mechanisms can better quantify and rank social influence, revealing that certain professions (e.g., media, military) are more influential than others (e.g., healthcare professionals) in spreading critical information
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Conclusion

Online information and social relationships significantly shape social phenomena by influencing information acquisition, social behavior, and public opinion. These influences can lead to both positive outcomes, such as enhanced customer relationships, and negative consequences, such as polarization and misinformation. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for developing effective strategies to manage social influence in various contexts.