When six people are gathered, they can all talk to one another; everyone is engaged in the same conversation. When a thousand people are gathered, they divide into two types of interaction. There’s the broadcasting effect, when someone climbs onstage to control the crowd and everyone turns to watch. And then there’s the small-group effect, when people strike up side conversations with their neighbors, ignoring the main stage. Social platforms must rebuild their infrastructure to accommodate these two use cases.
