2021/06/21 by Joseph B. Bak-Coleman, Mark Alfano, Wolfram Barfuß +14 · 1 voice · 16 citations
Physics and Astronomy · Social Sciences · #Complex Network Analysis Techniques #Misinformation and Its Impacts #Opinion Dynamics and Social Influence
paper · pdf · doi:10.1073/pnas.2025764118
openalex publication_date 2021/06/21 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/27
Collective behavior provides a framework for understanding how the actions and properties of groups emerge from the way individuals generate and share information. In humans, information flows were initially shaped by natural selection yet are increasingly structured by emerging communication technologies. Our larger, more complex social networks now transfer high-fidelity information over vast distances at low cost. The digital age and the rise of social media have accelerated changes to our social systems, with poorly understood functional consequences. This gap in our knowledge represents a principal challenge to scientific progress, democracy, and actions to address global crises. We argue that the study of collective behavior must rise to a "crisis discipline" just as medicine, conservation, and climate science have, with a focus on providing actionable insight to policymakers and regulators for the stewardship of social systems.