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Cited by 289Complex Network Analysis TechniquesOpinion Dynamics and Social InfluenceComplex Systems and Dynamics

Stewardship of global collective behavior

Open access
Bak-Coleman, Joseph B., Alfano, Mark, Barfuss, Wolfram, Bergstrom, Carl T., Centeno, Miguel A., Couzin, Iain D., Donges, Jonathan F., Galesic, Mirta +9 more·2021·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
DOI 10.1073/pnas.2025764118PMC PMC8271675
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Abstract

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.

AI snapshot

Written from the paper’s full text.

TL;DR

The paper argues that human collective behavior has been radically restructured by digital communication technologies and that its study must become a “crisis discipline” akin to medicine, conservation biology, and climate science. It calls for transdisciplinary, evidence-based stewardship of social systems because unmanaged social dynamics are unlikely to promote wellbeing or sustainability.

Key findings

  • Human social networks have changed in scale, structure, information fidelity, and algorithmic feedback: the global social network includes 7.8 billion people, 3.6 billion of whom use social media, and expanding a collectively behaving system by eight orders of magnitude is “certain to have functional consequences.”
  • High-fidelity digital transmission allows information to propagate beyond the roughly three to four degrees of separation typical of noisier communication, while misinformation can spread without decay or fact-checking along the way.
  • Algorithmic curation and recommendation can create runaway feedback, polarization, radicalization, and inequality of influence; for example, Twitter’s recommendation of users to follow since 2010 increased follower inequality between highly followed and less-followed users.
  • The authors argue that neither evolved social dynamics nor profit-maximizing communication technologies should be expected to yield sustainable or equitable outcomes without evidence-based policy and ethical stewardship.

Methods

  • The paper is a conceptual and synthetic perspective, not an empirical study; it integrates literature from complexity science, social sciences, communication studies, animal behavior, and related fields.
  • It presents no new dataset or sample; its main analysis frames human collective behavior as a complex adaptive system and identifies four key changes: increased scale, altered network structure, changes in information fidelity and correlation, and algorithmic feedback.
  • It proposes that collective behavior become a crisis discipline, drawing lessons from conservation biology, climate science, and medicine, and outlines challenges for transdisciplinary research, policy, and ethics.

Limitations

  • The paper states that we lack a complete model or full understanding of social-system dynamics, that reliable prediction of social systems is elusive, and that many algorithms are black-box and proprietary, slowing scientific oversight.
  • It notes that private ownership of communication technology constrains study and evidence-based policy, and that ethical stewardship faces unresolved normative disagreements across cultures and values.
  • Evident from the text: the paper offers no systematic review, meta-analysis, or new empirical tests; its claims rest on selected examples and cited findings rather than a formal quantitative synthesis.

Model-written summary. Check it against the paper before relying on it.

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1073/pnas.2025764118

Cites

169 of 169 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Nothing to recompute.

Claims the paper makes

0 of 110 cited sources checked · 0 supported · 0 flagged

  • Findingcitation

    Highly followed Twitter users tend to receive many more new followers than less-followed users, in particular since Twitter began recommending users to follow in 2010.

    “highly followed Twitter users tend to receive many more new followers than less-followed users, in particular since Twitter began recommending users to follow in 2010”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [131] J. Su, A. Sharma, S. Goel, “ The effect of recommendations on network structure” in Proceedings of the 25th International Conference on World Wide Web - WWW ’16 (ACM Press, New York, NY, 2016). pp. 1157– 1167. source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • Findingcitation

    In a classic experiment, the popularity of all but the very best and worst songs was shown to be more related to stochastic early positive reception by other users than by their inherent quality.

    “in a classic experiment, the popularity of all but the very best and worst songs was shown to be more related to stochastic early positive reception by other users than by their inherent quality”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [87] M. J. Salganik., Experimental study of inequality and unpredictability in an artificial cultural market. Science 311, 854– 856 (2006). 16469928 source

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  • Premisecitation

    Social interactions among individual organisms give rise to patterns and structure at higher levels of organization.

    “The characteristic feature of all of these systems is that social interactions among the individual organisms give rise to patterns and structure at higher levels of organization”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 4 sources checked
    • cites [1] E. Selous, Thought transference (or what?) in birds. Nature 129, 263 (1932). source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [2] Aristotle, Politics (Batoche Books, 1999).

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    • cites [3] M. Granovetter, The strength of weak ties. Am. J. Sociol. 78, 1360– 1380 (1973). source

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    • cites [4] H. Blumer, Social problems as collective behavior. Soc. Probl. 18, 298– 306 (1971). source

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  • Premisereasoning

    We lack the scientific framework needed to answer even the most basic questions that technology companies and their regulators face.

    “We lack the scientific framework we would need to answer even the most basic questions that technology companies and their regulators face.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Premisecitation

    Scientific research on how complex systems are impacted by human technology and population growth has largely focused on threats to the natural world.

    “Yet, scientific research on how complex systems are impacted by human technology and population growth has largely focused on the threats that these pose to the natural world”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 3 sources checked
    • cites [11] P. J. Crutzen, W. Steffen, How long have we been in the Anthropocene era? Clim. Change 61, 251– 257 (2003). source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [12] W. Steffen, P. J. Crutzen, J. R. McNeill. The Anthropocene: Are humans now overwhelming the great forces of nature. Ambio 36, 614– 621 (2007). 18240674 source

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    • cites [13] A. D. Barnosky., Has the Earth’s sixth mass extinction already arrived? Nature 471, 51– 57 (2011). 21368823 source

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  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim. 49
  • May combine two claims. 29

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S4 (based). May combine two claims.

    Premisenone given

    In humans, information flows were initially shaped by natural selection and are increasingly structured by emerging communication technologies.

    “In humans, information flows were initially shaped by natural selection yet are increasingly structured by emerging communication technologies.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable), S4 (based).

    Premisereasoning

    The functional consequences of recent changes to human social systems are poorly understood.

    “The digital age and the rise of social media have accelerated changes to our social systems, with poorly understood functional consequences.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S4 (based).

    Premisenone given

    Our larger, more complex social networks now transfer high-fidelity information over vast distances at low cost.

    “Our larger, more complex social networks now transfer high-fidelity information over vast distances at low cost.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable), S4 (based).

    Interpretationnone given

    This gap in knowledge represents a principal challenge to scientific progress, democracy, and actions to address global crises.

    “This gap in our knowledge represents a principal challenge to scientific progress, democracy, and actions to address global crises.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S4 (based).

    Premisenone given

    The digital age and the rise of social media have accelerated changes to our social systems.

    “The digital age and the rise of social media have accelerated changes to our social systems, with poorly understood functional consequences.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Lacking a developed framework, tech companies have fumbled their way through the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, unable to stem the "infodemic" of misinformation.

    “Lacking a developed framework, tech companies have fumbled their way through the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, unable to stem the “infodemic” of misinformation”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [18] J. Zarocostas, How to fight an infodemic. Lancet 395, 676 (2020). 32113495 PMC7133615 source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable), S4 (based).

    Premisereasoning

    We have a far poorer understanding of the functional consequences of recent large-scale changes to human collective behavior and decision making.

    “We have a far poorer understanding of the functional consequences of recent large-scale changes to human collective behavior and decision making.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S4 (based).

    Premisenone given

    The structure of our social networks and the patterns of information flow through them are directed by engineering decisions made to maximize profitability.

    “both the structure of our social networks and the patterns of information flow through them are directed by engineering decisions made to maximize profitability.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S4 (based).

    Premisenone given

    We do not have access to a theory-driven, empirically verified body of literature to inform a response to questions about how algorithms affect misinformation spread.

    “We do not have access to a theory-driven, empirically verified body of literature to inform a response to such a question.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S4 (based).

    Premisenone given

    Neither the evolutionary nor the technological changes to our social systems have come about with the express purpose of promoting global sustainability or quality of life.

    “Neither the evolutionary nor the technological changes to our social systems have come about with the express purpose of promoting global sustainability or quality of life.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim.

    Premisecitation

    It remains unknown whether human social dynamics will yield rapid and effective collective behavioral responses to global challenges.

    “yet it remains unknown whether human social dynamics will yield such responses”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 4 sources checked
    • cites [14] W. Steffen., Trajectories of the earth system in the Anthropocene. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 115, 8252– 8259 (2018). 30082409 PMC6099852 source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [15] S. Carattini, S. Levin, A. Tavoni, Cooperation in the climate commons. Rev. Environ. Econ. Pol. 13, 227– 247 (2019). source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [16] I. M. Otto., Social tipping dynamics for stabilizing Earth’s climate by 2050. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 117, 2354– 2365 (2020). 31964839 PMC7007533 source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [17] J. J. Van Bavel., Using social and behavioural science to support COVID-19 pandemic response. Nat. Hum. Behav. 4, 460– 471 (2020). 32355299 source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim. May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Multiscale interactions and feedback underlie collective behavior and are hallmarks of complex systems.

    “The multiscale interactions and feedback that underlie collective behavior are hallmarks of “complex systems””
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 2 sources checked
    • cites [8] S. A. Levin, Ecosystems and the biosphere as complex adaptive systems. Ecosystems 1, 431– 436 (1998). source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [9] R. M. May, S. A. Levin, G. Sugihara, Complex systems: Ecology for bankers. Nature 451, 893– 895 (2008). 18288170 source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationcitation

    Changes in group size alone have the potential to alter a group's ability to make accurate decisions, reach a clear majority, and cooperate.

    “In short, changes in scale alone have the potential to alter a group’s ability to make accurate decisions, reach a clear majority, and cooperate.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing), S4 (based).

    Premisenone given

    Our global social network of 7.8 billion people (3.6 billion of whom use social media) is distinct among macroscopic species.

    “Our global social network of 7.8 billion people (3.6 billion of whom use social media) is distinct among macroscopic species.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable), S4 (based). May combine two claims.

    Interpretationreasoning

    Human social dynamics cannot be expected to yield solutions to global issues or to promote human wellbeing without evidence-based policy and ethical stewardship.

    “Here, we build on our understanding of disturbed complex systems to argue that human social dynamics cannot be expected to yield solutions to global issues or to promote human wellbeing without evidence-based policy and ethical stewardship.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
    • Rests on an assumption: Evidence-based policy and ethical stewardship can effectively promote sustainable and equitable wellbeing in human social systems.

  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationreasoning

    Online dating apps add long ties on sexual contact social networks, which has the potential to increase disease burden even for those that do not use the services.

    “online dating apps add long ties on sexual contact social networks—often by design, as they seek to connect strangers. This has the potential to increase disease burden even for those that do not use the services.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable).

    Interpretationreasoning

    Addressing the impact of emerging technology on global behavior will require a transdisciplinary approach and unprecedented collaboration between scientists across a wide range of academic disciplines.

    “addressing the impact of emerging technology on global behavior will require a transdisciplinary approach and unprecedented collaboration between scientists across a wide range of academic disciplines.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Societies at the scale of ours are rare in the natural world and are often ecologically unstable where they do form.

    “Not only are societies at the scale of ours rare in the natural world; they also are often ecologically unstable where they do form”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [54] M. W. Moffett, Supercolonies of billions in an invasive ant: What is a society? Behav. Ecol. 23, 925– 933 (2012). source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Vested interests have taken advantage of new communication technology to spread misinformation, which partially explains why climate contrarians are overrepresented in nontraditional, digital media.

    “Vested interests have taken advantage of new communication technology to spread misinformation, which partially explains why climate contrarians are overrepresented in nontraditional, digital media”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [88] A. M. Petersen, E. M. Vincent, A. L. R. Westerling, Discrepancy in scientific authority and media visibility of climate change scientists and contrarians. Nat. Commun. 10, 3966 (2019). 31467289 PMC6715640 source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationcitation

    In contexts where decisions depend upon accurate information about the world, these processes could undermine collective intelligence or promote dangerous behavior such as vaccine refusal.

    “In contexts where decisions depend upon accurate information about the world, these processes could undermine collective intelligence or promote dangerous behavior such as vaccine refusal”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 2 sources checked
    • cites [89] A. Archer, A. Cawston, B. Matheson, M. Geuskens, Celebrity, democracy, and epistemic power. Perspect. Polit. 18, 1– 16 (2019).

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [90] K. Koltai, Vaccine information seeking and sharing: HOW private Facebook groups contributed to the anti-vaccine movement online. AoIR Selected Papers of Internet Research 10, AoIR2020 (2020).

      Not checked in the free run.

  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationcitation

    Highly connected individuals possess outsized influence, and it is unlikely that their centrality is solely related to being a producer of higher-quality information.

    “Highly connected individuals possess outsized influence, and it is unlikely that their centrality is solely related to being a producer of higher-quality information”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 4 sources checked
    • cites [83] S. Vosoughi, D. Roy, S. Aral, The spread of true and false news online. Science 359, 1146– 1151 (2018). 29590045 source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [84] J. Becker, D. Brackbill, D. Centola, Network dynamics of social influence in the wisdom of crowds. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 114, E5070– E5076 (2017). 28607070 PMC5495222 source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [85] A. V. Banerjee, A. Chandrasekhar, E. Duflo, M. O. Jackson, Gossip: Identifying central individuals in a social network (2014). https://www.nber.org/papers/w20422. Accessed 10 June 2021. source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [86] C. O’Connor, J. O. Weatherall, “ Modeling how false beliefs spread” in The Routledge Handbook of Political Epistemology, M. Hannon, J. de Ridder, Eds. (Routledge, 2021), pp. 203– 213. source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    These structural features can also contribute to harmful phenomena: echo chambers and polarization, eroded trust in government, worldwide spread of local economic instabilities, global consequences of local electorate decisions, difficulty coordinating responses to pandemics, migrations driven by unreliable information, and others.

    “These structural features can also contribute to harmful phenomena: echo chambers and polarization, eroded trust in government, worldwide spread of local economic instabilities, global consequences of local electorate decisions, difficulty coordinating responses to pandemics, migrations driven by unreliable information about potential host countries, and others”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 3 sources checked
    • cites [70] W. J. Brady., Emotion shapes the diffusion of moralized content in social networks. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 114, 7313– 7318 (2017). 28652356 PMC5514704 source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [91] V. Narayanan., Polarization, partisanship and junk news consumption over social media in the US. arXiv [Preprint] (2018). https://arxiv.org/abs/1803.01845v1 (Accessed 10 June 2021).

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [92] S. Guriev, N. I. Melkinov, E. Zhuravskaya, Knowledge is power: Mobile internet, government confidence, and populism. VOXEU CEPR (2019). https://voxeu.org/article/mobile-internet-government-confidence-and-populism. Accessed 10 June 2021.

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  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Noise can disrupt gridlock and promote cooperation.

    “Noise can disrupt gridlock and promote cooperation”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [100] H. Shirado, N. A. Christakis, Locally noisy autonomous agents improve global human coordination in network experiments. Nature 545, 370– 374 (2017). 28516927 PMC5912653 source

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  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Premisecitation

    Recent work suggests that network structural effects can lead to "information gerrymandering" that induces undemocratic outcomes whereby a majority of the electorate votes against the electorate's interest.

    “Recent work suggests that network structural effects can lead to “information gerrymandering” that induces undemocratic outcomes whereby a majority of the electorate votes against the electorate’s interest”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [97] A. J. Stewart., Information gerrymandering and undemocratic decisions. Nature 573, 117– 121 (2019). 31485058 source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Rapid information flows may overwhelm cognitive processes and yield less accurate decisions.

    “rapid information flows may overwhelm cognitive processes and yield less accurate decisions”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 2 sources checked
    • cites [103] L. Chittka, P. Skorupski, N. E. Raine, Speed–accuracy tradeoffs in animal decision making. Trends Ecol. Evol. 24, 400– 407 (2009). 19409649 source

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    • cites [104] B. Bago, D. G. Rand, G. Pennycook, Fake news, fast and slow: Deliberation reduces belief in false (but not true) news headlines. J. Exp. Psychol. Gen. 149, 1608– 1613 (2020). 31916834 source

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  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationcitation

    Such path dependencies may have transformative effects, changing the preferences and values of the users themselves and leading to radicalization.

    “Such path dependencies may have transformative effects, changing the preferences and values of the users themselves and leading to radicalization”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 2 sources checked
    • cites [127] M. Alfano, J. A. Carter, M. Cheong, Technological seduction and self-radicalization. J. Am. Philos. Assoc. 4, 298– 322 (2018). source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [128] M. H. Ribeiro, R. Ottoni, R. West, V. A. F. Almeida, W. M. W. Meira, “ Auditing radicalization pathways on YouTube” in Proceedings of the 2020 Conference on Fairness, Accountability, and Transparency (Association for Computing Machinery, Inc., New York, NY, 2020), vol. 11, pp. 131– 141. source

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  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Anonymity online permits the spread of low-quality information with minimal social cost and provides cover for bots brute-forcing a message onto a network.

    “Anonymity online similarly permits the spread of low-quality information with minimal social cost and provides cover for bots brute-forcing a message onto a network”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [110] T. Marlow, S. Miller, J. T. Roberts. Bots and online climate discourses: Twitter discourse on President Trump’s announcement of U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Agreement. Clim. Pol., 10.1080/14693062.2020.1870098 (2021). source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationcitation

    This algorithmic change has increased the inequality in the number of followers between users-altering the overall network structure in ways that may exacerbate the spread of misinformation.

    “This algorithmic change has increased the inequality in the number of followers between users—altering the overall network structure in ways that may exacerbate the spread of misinformation”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [83] S. Vosoughi, D. Roy, S. Aral, The spread of true and false news online. Science 359, 1146– 1151 (2018). 29590045 source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable), S4 (based).

    Interpretationnone given

    We are offloading our evolved information-foraging processes onto algorithms.

    “we are offloading our evolved information-foraging processes onto algorithms”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationcitation

    Algorithms designed to filter, curate, and display the vast amount of information available online, combined with people's tendency to seek friendly social environments, may induce biases in perceived reality and contribute to societal polarization.

    “algorithms designed to filter, curate, and display the vast amount of information available online, combined with people’s tendency to seek friendly social environments, may induce biases in perceived reality and contribute to societal polarization”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 4 sources checked
    • cites [119] T. T. Nguyen, P.-M. Hui, F. M. Harper, L. Terveen, J. A. Konstan, “ Exploring the filter bubble” in Proceedings of the 23rd International Conference on World Wide Web - WWW ’14 (ACM Press, New York, NY, 2014), pp. 677– 686.

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [120] E. Bakshy, S. Messing, L. A. Adamic, Exposure to ideologically diverse news and opinion on Facebook. Science 348, 1130– 1132 (2015). 25953820 source

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    • cites [121] E. Bozdag, Bias in algorithmic filtering and personalization. Ethics Inf. Technol. 15, 209– 227 (2013). source

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    • cites [122] B. Toff, R. K. Nielsen, “I just google it”: Folk theories of distributed discovery. J. Commun. 68, 636– 657 (2018). source

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  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable), S4 (based). May combine two claims.

    Premisenone given

    These algorithms are typically designed to maximize profitability, with often insufficient incentive to promote an informed, just, healthy, and sustainable society.

    “these algorithms are typically designed to maximize profitability, with often insufficient incentive to promote an informed, just, healthy, and sustainable society”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationcitation

    Algorithms that aim to facilitate hiring, lending, healthcare, policing, and criminal justice may provide an illusion of objectivity while reinforcing human biases and creating feedback loops that further exacerbate injustice and inequality.

    “Algorithms that aim to facilitate hiring, lending, healthcare, policing, and criminal justice may provide an illusion of objectivity while reinforcing human biases and creating feedback loops that further exacerbate injustice and inequality”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 3 sources checked
    • cites [123] Z. Obermeyer, B. Powers, C. Vogeli, S. Mullainathan, Dissecting racial bias in an algorithm used to manage the health of populations. Science 366, 447– 453 (2019). 31649194 source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [124] K. Lum, W. Isaac, To predict and serve? Significance 13, 14– 19 (2016). source

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    • cites [125] C. O’Neil, Weapons of Math Destruction: How Big Data Increases Inequality and Threatens Democracy (Random House, New York, NY, ed. 1, 2016), vol. 1.

      Not checked in the free run.

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable).

    Interpretationreasoning

    Stewardship of social systems will require increased focus on digital technologies.

    “we expect that stewardship of social systems will require increased focus on digital technologies”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
    • Rests on an assumption: Evidence-based policy and ethical stewardship can effectively promote sustainable and equitable wellbeing in human social systems.

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable), S4 (based).

    Interpretationnone given

    Data-driven models of how information spreads may inform strategies to reduce political misinformation or antivaccine propaganda without requiring censorship.

    “data-driven models of how information spreads may inform strategies to reduce political misinformation or antivaccine propaganda without requiring censorship”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable), S4 (based).

    Interpretationreasoning

    Moving from scientific to actionable insight will require an understanding of law, public policy, systemic risk, and international relations.

    “Moving from scientific to actionable insight will also require an understanding of law, public policy, systemic risk, and international relations”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable), S4 (based).

    Interpretationreasoning

    Proposed evidence-based policies will have to consider the risk that policy poses to the stability of other systems when communication technology interventions are applied at scale.

    “Proposed evidence-based policies will have to consider the risk that policy poses to the stability of other systems when communication technology interventions are applied at scale”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Online and offline dynamics cannot be disentangled and careful consideration of both will be necessary for identifying successful intervention strategies.

    “online and offline dynamics cannot be disentangled and careful consideration of both will be necessary for identifying successful intervention strategies”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable), S4 (based).

    Interpretationreasoning

    Given our evolved tendencies combined with the impact of technology and population growth, there is no reason to believe that human social dynamics will be sustainable or conducive to wellbeing if left unmanaged.

    “Given our evolved tendencies combined with the impact of technology and population growth, there is no reason to believe that human social dynamics will be sustainable or conducive to wellbeing if left unmanaged.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
    • Rests on an assumption: Evidence-based policy and ethical stewardship can effectively promote sustainable and equitable wellbeing in human social systems.

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable), S3 (load-bearing), S4 (based).

    Premisenone given

    At present, little such caution is exercised.

    “At present, little such caution is exercised.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S4 (based). May combine two claims.

    Premisenone given

    Rigorous empirical tests of complex systems models of human behavior are still rare, which limits their usefulness for managing social dynamics.

    “Rigorous empirical tests of these models are still rare, which limits their usefulness for managing social dynamics”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable), S3 (load-bearing), S4 (based).

    Interpretationnone given

    Modeling human interaction with recommendation algorithms may provide insight into best practices for detecting and deterring radicalization.

    “modeling human interaction with recommendation algorithms may provide insight into best practices for detecting and deterring radicalization”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S4 (based).

    Premisenone given

    Our social systems are coupled to a variety of other tangible complex systems, including economies, supply chains of food and medicine, and utilities such as power grids.

    “Our social systems are coupled to a variety of other tangible complex systems, including economies, supply chains of food and medicine, and utilities such as power grids”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationreasoning

    Online communication technology increases the urgency of stewardship while providing opportunities to enact evidence-based policies at scale.

    “online communication technology increases the urgency of stewardship while providing opportunities to enact evidence-based policies at scale”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
    • Rests on an assumption: Evidence-based policy and ethical stewardship can effectively promote sustainable and equitable wellbeing in human social systems.

  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    White papers aimed at regulators and journalists are common in climate science and recently played an important role in responding to electoral misinformation and communicating COVID-19-related research.

    “White papers aimed at regulators and journalists are common in climate science and recently played an important role in responding to electoral misinformation and communicating COVID-19–related research (107, 150).”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 2 sources checked
    • cites [107] Election Integrity Partnership, “The long fuse: Misinformation and the 2020 election” (Tech. Rep., Center for an Informed Public, Digital Forensic Research Lab, Graphika, & Stanford Internet Observatory, Stanford Digital Repository, Stanford, CA 2021).

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [150] National Academies, Societal experts action network. https://www.nationalacademies.org/our-work/societal-experts-action-network#sl-three-columns-d2bc460d-5bb3-41ce-991f-80e4dd0bdae8. Accessed 1 February 2021.

      Not checked in the free run.

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable).

    Interpretationcitation

    Stewardship of collective processes will require an understanding of both individual motivations and their emergent consequences.

    “Stewardship of collective processes will require an understanding of both individual motivations and their emergent consequences”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 3 sources checked
    • cites [144] X. Chen, S. C. J. Sin, Y. L. Theng, C. S. Lee, “ Why do social media users share misinformation?” in Proceedings of the ACM/IEEE Joint Conference on Digital Libraries (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc., New York, NY, 2015), vol. 2015, pp. 111– 114. source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [145] E. A. Rosa, O. Renn, A. M. McCright, The Risk Society Revisited: Social Theory and Risk Governance on JSTOR (Temple University Press, Philadelphia, PA, ed. 1, 2014).

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [146] M. Schlüter., A framework for mapping and comparing behavioural theories in models of social-ecological systems. Ecol. Econ. 131, 21– 35 (2017). source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Premisecitation

    Political communication research has long described how alterations of networked communications technology appear to impact social movements, institutional politics, and political participation.

    “Political communication research, in particular, has long described how alterations of networked communications technology appear to impact social movements, institutional politics, and political participation”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 2 sources checked
    • cites [133] B. Bimber, A. J. Flanagin, C. Stohl, Collective Action in Organizations: Interaction and Engagement in an Era of Technological Change (Cambridge University Press, 2012). source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [137] H. Margetts, P. John, S. Hale, T. Yasseri, Political Turbulence (Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, ed. 1, 2016), vol. 1.

      Not checked in the free run.

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable).

    Interpretationreasoning

    Given that the impacts of communication technology on patterns of behavior cross the lines that divide academic disciplines, a transdisciplinary synthesis and approach to managing our collective behavior are required.

    “Given that the impacts of communication technology on patterns of behavior cross the lines that divide academic disciplines, a transdisciplinary synthesis and approach to managing our collective behavior are required”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable), S4 (based). May combine two claims.

    Interpretationreasoning

    Given that algorithms and companies are already altering our global patterns of behavior for financial reasons, there is no safe hands-off approach.

    “Given that algorithms and companies are already altering our global patterns of behavior for financial reasons, there is no safe hands-off approach”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable), S4 (based).

    Interpretationreasoning

    Rapid postpublication peer review on social media and other venues can substitute for slower formal mechanisms.

    “Subsequent to publication, rapid postpublication peer review on social media and other venues can substitute for slower formal mechanisms.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable), S4 (based).

    Interpretationnone given

    Multiinstitution and interdisciplinary collaboration provides a degree of error checking prior to publication.

    “In lieu of peer review, multiinstitution and interdisciplinary collaboration provides a degree of error checking prior to publication.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable), S4 (based).

    Interpretationnone given

    In the absence of a globally held normative framework for deciding what constitutes healthy societies or desirable sociotechnical interactions, it may be difficult to even agree on what ethical stewardship might entail.

    “In the absence of a globally held normative framework for deciding what constitutes healthy societies or desirable sociotechnical interactions, it may be difficult to even agree on what ethical stewardship might entail.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
    • Rests on an assumption: There is no globally held normative framework for deciding what constitutes healthy societies or desirable sociotechnical interactions.

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable).

    Interpretationreasoning

    Some business models may be fundamentally incompatible with a healthy society.

    “This raises the possibility that some business models may be fundamentally incompatible with a healthy society (154).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [154] Y. Benkler, R. Farris, H. Roberts, Network Propaganda (Oxford University Press, 2018), vol. 1. source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    There is evidence to suggest that a subset of users is engaged by misinformation, as well as emotionalized and moralized content.

    “For instance, there is evidence to suggest that a subset of users is engaged by misinformation, as well as emotionalized and moralized content (70, 83, 152, 153).”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 3 sources checked
    • cites [70] W. J. Brady., Emotion shapes the diffusion of moralized content in social networks. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 114, 7313– 7318 (2017). 28652356 PMC5514704 source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [83] S. Vosoughi, D. Roy, S. Aral, The spread of true and false news online. Science 359, 1146– 1151 (2018). 29590045 source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [152] G. Pennycook, D. G. Rand, Who falls for fake news? The roles of bullshit receptivity, overclaiming, familiarity, and analytic thinking. J. Pers., in press. 30929263

      Not checked in the free run.

  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Misinformation poses grave threats including the spread of conspiracy theories, rejection of recommended public health interventions, subversion of democratic processes, and even genocide.

    “Misinformation poses grave threats including the spread of conspiracy theories, rejection of recommended public health interventions, subversion of democratic processes, and even genocide (90, 107, 157, 158).”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 3 sources checked
    • cites [90] K. Koltai, Vaccine information seeking and sharing: HOW private Facebook groups contributed to the anti-vaccine movement online. AoIR Selected Papers of Internet Research 10, AoIR2020 (2020).

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [107] Election Integrity Partnership, “The long fuse: Misinformation and the 2020 election” (Tech. Rep., Center for an Informed Public, Digital Forensic Research Lab, Graphika, & Stanford Internet Observatory, Stanford Digital Repository, Stanford, CA 2021).

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [157] J. Whitten-Woodring, M. S. Kleinberg, A. Thawnghmung, M. T. Thitsar, Poison if you don’t know how to use it: Facebook, democracy, and human rights in Myanmar. Int. J. Press Politics 25, 407– 425 (2020). source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable). May combine two claims.

    Interpretationreasoning

    From a company's perspective, this content retains users who provide economic value and its removal may not be economically favorable or even viable.

    “From a company’s perspective, this content retains users who provide economic value and its removal may not be economically favorable or even viable.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim.

    Interpretationreasoning

    Interventions that improve digital life may lead to inequity offline.

    “Our approach must further consider the impact on those that lack access to communication technology, as interventions that improve digital life may lead to inequity offline.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing), S4 (based).

    Interpretationreasoning

    Online vaccination or electoral registration programs risk relative disenfranchisement of groups that cannot take advantage of them.

    “For instance, online vaccination or electoral registration programs risk relative disenfranchisement of groups that cannot take advantage of them.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable), S3 (load-bearing), S4 (based).

    Interpretationnone given

    Profitable approaches promoting healthy online interaction-should they exist-will be easier to implement.

    “Overall, profitable approaches promoting healthy online interaction—should they exist—will be easier to implement.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable).

    Interpretationreasoning

    There is no viable hands-off approach.

    “There is no viable hands-off approach.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable), S4 (based).

    Premisenone given

    Proposed solutions in conservation biology and other crisis disciplines are often stymied by inability to convert workable solutions into large-scale behavioral change.

    “Proposed solutions in conservation biology and other crisis disciplines, no matter how elegant, are often stymied by inability to convert workable solutions into large-scale behavioral change.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Human collective dynamics are critical to the wellbeing of people and ecosystems in the present and will set the stage for how we face global challenges with impacts that will last centuries.

    “Human collective dynamics are critical to the wellbeing of people and ecosystems in the present and will set the stage for how we face global challenges with impacts that will last centuries (14, 15, 64).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 3 sources checked
    • cites [14] W. Steffen., Trajectories of the earth system in the Anthropocene. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 115, 8252– 8259 (2018). 30082409 PMC6099852 source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [15] S. Carattini, S. Levin, A. Tavoni, Cooperation in the climate commons. Rev. Environ. Econ. Pol. 13, 227– 247 (2019). source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [64] W. Barfuss, J. F. Donges, V. V. Vasconcelos, J. Kurths, S. A. Levin, Caring for the future can turn tragedy into comedy for long-term collective action under risk of collapse. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 117, 12915– 12922 (2020). 32434908 PMC7293627 source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable), S4 (based).

    Interpretationnone given

    A consolidated study of human collective behavior will be limited to providing mechanistic insight into the consequences of changes to our social system and potential solutions.

    “A consolidated study of human collective behavior will be limited to providing mechanistic insight into the consequences of changes to our social system and potential solutions.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable).

    Interpretationcitation

    The ethical issues raised by stewardship of social systems, like those associated with ecological systems, will require input from philosophy, public policy, and disciplines across the humanities.

    “The ethical issues raised by stewardship of social systems, like those associated with ecological systems, will require input from philosophy, public policy, and disciplines across the humanities (147).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [147] F. S. Chapin., Ecosystem stewardship: Sustainability strategies for a rapidly changing planet. Trends Ecol. Evol. 25, 241– 249 (2010). 19923035 source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable), S4 (based).

    Interpretationreasoning

    Collective behavior provides a framework for stewardship of social systems, not by supplanting other fields, but by stitching together disparate disciplines with a common goal.

    “Collective behavior provides a framework for stewardship of social systems, not by supplanting other fields, but by stitching together disparate disciplines with a common goal.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable), S4 (based).

    Interpretationnone given

    Misinformation, algorithms, dark patterns, and other issues arise at a rate far greater than they can be adequately characterized, much less addressed.

    “Unfortunately, misinformation, algorithms, dark patterns, and other issues arise at a rate far greater than they can be adequately characterized, much less addressed.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S4 (based).

    Interpretationnone given

    Changes to a few lines of code can impact global behavioral processes.

    “Changes to a few lines of code can impact global behavioral processes.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable), S4 (based).

    Interpretationreasoning

    Inaction on the part of scientists and regulators will hand the reins of our collective behavior over to a small number of individuals at for-profit companies.

    “Inaction on the part of scientists and regulators will hand the reins of our collective behavior over to a small number of individuals at for-profit companies.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable), S4 (based).

    Interpretationreasoning

    The risks of inaction both in the present and for future generations necessitate stewardship of collective behavior.

    “Despite the scientific and ethical challenges, the risks of inaction both in the present and for future generations necessitate stewardship of collective behavior.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable), S4 (based).

    Interpretationreasoning

    In the absence of evidence-informed policy recommendations, we should not expect the emergent consequences to be stabilizing or even beneficial.

    “In the absence of evidence-informed policy recommendations, we should not expect the emergent consequences to be stabilizing or even beneficial.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Research in political communications has shown that while online movements and coordination are often prone to failure, when they succeed, the results can be dramatic.

    “Research in political communications has shown that while online movements and coordination are often prone to failure, when they succeed, the results can be dramatic (137).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [137] H. Margetts, P. John, S. Hale, T. Yasseri, Political Turbulence (Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, ed. 1, 2016), vol. 1.

      Not checked in the free run.

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable).

    Interpretationreasoning

    Clever solutions aimed at social system stewardship will face similar challenges.

    “Clever solutions aimed at social system stewardship will face similar challenges.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
71 of 71

  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Evidence-based policy and ethical stewardship can effectively promote sustainable and equitable wellbeing in human social systems.

    “Here, we build on our understanding of disturbed complex systems to argue that human social dynamics cannot be expected to yield solutions to global issues or to promote human wellbeing without evidence-based policy and ethical stewardship.”

  • The paper relies on this without support.

    The current trajectory of communication technology development and adoption will continue to alter social systems in ways that are not self-correcting.

    “Given our evolved tendencies combined with the impact of technology and population growth, there is no reason to believe that human social dynamics will be sustainable or conducive to wellbeing if left unmanaged.”

  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Most communication technology is privately owned.

    “As most communication technology is privately owned, the ability to study its impact, much less enact evidence-based policy, is constrained by the willingness of companies to cooperate.”

  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Natural selection has not endowed humans with dynamics intrinsically conducive to human wellbeing or sustainability.

    “There is no reason to suppose natural selection will have endowed us with dynamics that are intrinsically conducive to human wellbeing or sustainability.”

  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Communication technology has largely been developed to solve the needs of individuals or single organizations.

    “The same is true of communication technology, which has largely been developed to solve the needs of individuals or single organizations.”

  • The paper relies on this without support.

    There is no globally held normative framework for deciding what constitutes healthy societies or desirable sociotechnical interactions.

    “In the absence of a globally held normative framework for deciding what constitutes healthy societies or desirable sociotechnical interactions, it may be difficult to even agree on what ethical stewardship might entail.”

  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Human population growth combined with communication technology has created a global social network that is larger, denser, and able to transmit higher-fidelity information at greater speed.

    “Such technology, combined with human population growth, has created a global social network that is larger, denser, and able to transmit higher-fidelity information at greater speed.”
7 of 7

Claims other papers make about this one

Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?

  • The enlarged scale of digital networks creates unprecedented opportunities for building connections, earning recognition, and observing others, thereby supercharging motives of social status and connection.

    “It also creates unprecedented opportunities for building connections, earning recognition, and observing others, thereby supercharging motives of social status and connection (Bail, 2021; Bak-Coleman et al., 2021; Brady et al., 2020).”

    From Social Drivers and Algorithmic Mechanisms on Digital Media. (2024) · cites this paper as Bak-Coleman et al., 2021

    The ‘Changes in Network Structure’ section says digital platforms let people connect and share information with thousands of others, and discusses highly connected individuals’ popularity and influence. It does not say that these opportunities supercharge motives for social status or connection, or specifically frame observing others as an unprecedented opportunity. Page numbers are unavailable in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.86)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Algorithm recommendations may have changed the structure of networks, increasing the frequency of triangles and enabling interaction between distant individuals.

    “Finally, algorithm recommendations may have changed the structure of networks, increasing the frequency of triangles (Salganik, 2019; Ugander et al., 2011) and enabling interaction between distant individuals (Bak-Coleman et al., 2021).”

    From Social Drivers and Algorithmic Mechanisms on Digital Media. (2024) · cites this paper as Bak-Coleman et al., 2021

    In “Changes in Network Structure” (page unavailable), the paper says communication technologies allow interaction with geographically distant people. “Algorithmic Feedback” (page unavailable) says recommendations can alter network structure, but it does not say they enable distant interactions. The triangle claim is cited to other sources, not Bak-Coleman et al. (LLM, conf=0.84)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • The vastly enlarged scale of digital compared with offline social networks increases audience size and magnifies differences in influence and social status of individual users.

    “Other relevant platform features beyond algorithms include the vastly enlarged scale of digital compared with offline social networks. This increases audience size and magnifies differences in the influence and social status of individual users (Bak-Coleman et al., 2021).”

    From Social Drivers and Algorithmic Mechanisms on Digital Media. (2024) · cites this paper as Bak-Coleman et al., 2021

    In “Changes in Network Structure” (page unavailable), the paper contrasts hundreds of meaningful contacts offline with the ability to share information with thousands online, and says highly connected people have outsized influence. It also identifies inequality of influence in large, technology-enabled networks. It does not establish that scale itself magnifies differences in users’ social status; its explicit account of increasing follower inequality concerns algorithmic recommendations (“Algorithmic Feedback,” page unavailable). (LLM, conf=0.84)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Optimization metrics are usually chosen to maximize the profits of corporations and advertisers rather than to bring about psychological and societal benefits.

    “Yet these optimization metrics are usually chosen to maximize the profits of corporations and advertisers (Bak-Coleman et al., 2021; Narayanan, 2023b) rather to bring about psychological and societal benefits.”

    From Social Drivers and Algorithmic Mechanisms on Digital Media. (2024) · cites this paper as Bak-Coleman et al., 2021

  • Reducing the sharing likelihood of misinformation can substantially reduce its reach.

    “As a result, reducing the sharing likelihood of misinformation can substantially reduce its reach (as show, for example, by agent-based simulations of network spreading dynamics23,24).”

    From Accuracy prompts are a replicable and generalizable approach for reducing the spread of misinformation (2022) · cites this paper as [23]

Cites

Flagged first, then by citations

Research works printed but not linked: 8

  1. Aristotle, Politics (Batoche Books, 1999).
  2. T. Hobbes, Leviathan (Penguin Books, Baltimore, MD, 1968).
  3. M. De Condorcet, Essay on the Application of Analysis to the Probability of Majority Decisions (Imprimerie Royale, Paris, France, 1785).
  4. J. Henrich, The Secret of Our Success (Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, 2017).
  5. C. Bergstrom, J. West, Calling Bullshit: The Art of Skepticism in a Data-Driven World (Random House, New York, NY, ed. 1, 2020).
  6. H. Margetts, P. John, S. Hale, T. Yasseri, Political Turbulence (Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, ed. 1, 2016), vol. 1.
  7. N. Paton, A. Almaatouq, Empirica: Open-Source, Real-Time, Synchronous, Virtual Lab Framework (Zenodo, 2018).
  8. E. A. Rosa, O. Renn, A. M. McCright, The Risk Society Revisited: Social Theory and Risk Governance on JSTOR (Temple University Press, Philadelphia, PA, ed. 1, 2014).

Cited by

Sorted by citations

Related

Authors
Bak-Coleman, J. B., Alfano, M., Barfuss, W., Bergstrom, C. T., Centeno, M. A., Couzin, I. D., Donges, J. F., Galesic, M., Gersick, A. S., Jacquet, J., Kao, A. B., Moran, R. E., Romanczuk, P., Rubenstein, D. I., Tombak, K. J., Van Bavel, J. J., & Weber, E. U.
Affiliations
  • University of Washington (US)
  • Australian Catholic University (AU)
  • Leibniz Association (DE)
  • Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544;
  • University of Konstanz (DE)
  • Stockholm Resilience Centre (SE)
  • Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM 87501;
  • Princeton University (US)
  • New York University (US)
  • Santa Fe Institute (US)
  • Institute for Theoretical Biology, Department of Biology, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, 10115 Berlin, Germany;
  • Hunter College (US)
  • Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, NY 10003;
Corresponding author
Bak-Coleman, Joseph B.
ORCID
Venue
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Publisher
National Academy of Sciences
Published
2021-06-21
Volume
118
Issue
27
ISSN
  • 0027-8424 (ISSN-L)
  • 1091-6490
DOI
10.1073/pnas.2025764118
PMC
PMC8271675
OpenAlex
W3177125472
Cited by
289
References
169
Citations by year
2026: 24 · 2025: 47 · 2024: 55 · 2023: 76 · 2022: 59 · 2021: 26 · 2020: 1
FWCI
21.35
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • KOPS (University of Konstanz) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • RENATE (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • Publication Database PIK (Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK)) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • Research Repository (Delft University of Technology) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • RENATE
Funders
  • National Science Foundation (1355061)
  • John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
  • Princeton University
  • University of Washington
  • Santa Fe Institute
  • Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (EXC 2117422037984, 2117_422037984, EXC2117, 422037984, RO4766/2-1, 390523135, EXC 2002)
  • Max-Planck-Gesellschaft (IOS-1355061)
  • Princeton Institute for International and Regional Studies
  • Office of Naval Research (N00014‐19‐1‐2556, IOS-1355061, N00014)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Statistical and Nonlinear Physics › Complex Network Analysis Techniques
  • Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Statistical and Nonlinear Physics › Opinion Dynamics and Social Influence
  • Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Statistical and Nonlinear Physics › Complex Systems and Dynamics
Keywords
collective behavior, social networks, information flow, social media, digital communication tools, policy relevance, global crisis
MeSH terms
Algorithms, Behavior, Communication, Cooperative Behavior, Humans, Internationality, Social Networking

About these checks

Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.

Claims read by deepseek-v4.1-flash under definition version 3 (extract-v3) on 2026-10-09.

Classified by jev-1.13-20260917 (gold-guideline-v0.2) on 2026-10-09.

Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.

Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.

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