Are we really that connected?

November 24, 2011 by Katy Milani to Government

I admit I log onto Facebook everyday. By the minute new updates and photos feed onto my screen that give me a quick glimpse into my friends’ and family members’ lives, and because of this I feel a little more connected than I would be otherwise. However, I couldn’t have imagined how connected we really are until I stumbled upon some fascinating stats in this recent Washington Post article.

Here are some astounding figures that should impress anyone that uses (or doesn’t use) Facebook. The Facebook data team conducted a study on users of the social network and discovered that “99.6 percent of all people on the social network can be connected within five steps, or six relationships. Ninety-two percent can be connected within four steps.” Without a doubt, that is an impressive figure. Facebook has a wealth of data at its fingers tips given they have a sample size of 721 million people, or a little over one-tenth of the estimated world population!

We frequently hear people comment that we live in more interconnected world, but this data is proof of this fact. While Facebook has empowered the individual (with access to a computer and internet) to connect with others and share information in real time, this company has access to vital and powerful information which is can use as it sees fit. With this power comes responsibility. This data demonstrates how interconnected we really are, but it also shows how much information Facebook has at its disposal. Society and government might want to start seriously thinking about what checks and balances should be in place to make sure this information is used ethically and is protected.