How our Core Personal Network Evolves Quicker with Social Networks

According to common knowledge it is difficult to entertain tight bonding with more than about 150 people at any one time. This is called the Dunbar’s number, a concept developed in the 1990s. However with the Fourth Revolution, I believe the rotation frequency of this tighter community might have increased.

The approximate number is probably applicable and maintaining actual strong bonds with this group of people requires some engagement, as reminded to us by Valeria Maltoni in her post ‘Most of our Activities require a Combination of Bonding and Bridging‘.

My observation is that with social networks that allow us to maintain weak ties with a lot more people in a more intense manner than before, the composition of this elect group of stronger bonded people is much higher than before. Depending on exchanges, meetings and opportunities, we tend to renew this group much more frequently than before (around a much smaller stable core community). This has implications about the relative impermanence of stronger bonds which might be an issue, while the accelerated renewal rate is an opportunity for a richer life as well.

Is that your case also that your tighter community tends to rotate quicker than before?