Comparing the diversity of information by word-of-mouth vs. web spread

TL;DR

This study compares opinion spreading via word-of-mouth and web search, revealing that web-based information dissemination leads to less diverse opinions than interpersonal communication.

Contribution

It introduces a comparative analysis of opinion diversity in WOM versus web-based spreading, combining modeling and experimental validation.

Findings

Web spreading results in dominant, less diverse opinions.

WOM promotes a more diverse opinion distribution.

Search engine users tend to have more homogeneous views.

Abstract

Many studies have explored spreading and diffusion through complex networks. The following study examines a specific case of spreading of opinions in modern society through two spreading schemes, defined as being either through word-of-mouth (WOM), or through online search engines (WEB). We apply both modelling and real experimental results and compare the opinions people adopt through an exposure to their friend`s opinions, as opposed to the opinions they adopt when using a search engine based on the PageRank algorithm. A simulated study shows that when members in a population adopt decisions through the use of the WEB scheme, the population ends up with a few dominant views, while other views are barely expressed. In contrast, when members adopt decisions based on the WOM scheme, there is a far more diverse distribution of opinions in that population. The simulative results are further supported by an online experiment which finds that people searching information through a search engine end up with far more homogenous opinions as compared to those asking their friends.