Heather Callaghan
And how the 'cascade' can be directed...
Was the Internet or Social Media created for your benefit? The current set-up allows for some exposure of new ideas and online connection between friends and family. However, it is also a major surveillance tool and a boon to behavioral psychological researchers observing in secret.
It turns out, human behavior (the most highly studied topic of all time) is so pathetically predictable - especially on social media - that its direction and influence can be cracked using a mathematical algorithm. Information cascades - off or online - are useful for mass behavior modification as they prompt people to do what they normally wouldn't.
A press release asks:
How do people in a social network behave? How are opinions, decisions and behaviors of individuals influenced by their online networks? Can the application of math help answer these questions?
