Dr. Christakis was trying to discover whether having obese people in your social network was more likely to make you obese too, and he found that it does.
But what Dr. Christakis also found is that obesity is not the only thing that can be passed on to others through social networks. He found that many different things like depression, eating habits, drinking habits, and even happiness can spread like a virus through social networks.
Now, Dr. Christakis has started to study social networks on the internet, and he has found more fascinating data on how we influence, and are influenced by, the people in our social network.
So what is Dr. Christakis studying now? Facebook.
Happy people cluster together, the research suggests. And the opposite also seems to be true — so if you are miserable, you are more likely to have miserable friends.
The effect holds in both the real and virtual worlds. People who put smiling photos on their profiles for social networking sites such as Facebook tend to link to one another. Frowners do likewise.
But it’s not just direct contact that counts. The link is significant to three degrees of separation — that is, your own emotional state is connected to that of your friends’ friends’ friends.
Would you hang around with someone who had a contagious version of depression? What about contagious anger, or contagious unhealthy eating and drinking habits? Probably not right. But depression and anger and unhealthy eating and drinking habits are all things that can be transferred through your social network.
On the other hand, positive things like happiness can also be transferred through social networks. In the end, it’s up to you to decide whether you’re going to associate with positive or negative people.
I know that when I think back on some of the major shifts that have occurred in my own social network (like moving to university, moving in with new room mates, or joining a new soccer team) I can see that a corresponding shift in my own personality and emotional state took place. Fortunately for me, the change has always been a positive one, but it could have very easily been a negative one.
So think about who your friends are, or who your significant other is. Do you enjoy being around these people? Do they make you laugh and smile? If the answer is no, then maybe you should think about creating a major shift in your own social network.
Further Reading:
- The Secret of Happiness: Grinning on the Internet by John Whitfield
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