What makes people bond?: A study on social interactions and common life points on Facebook

TL;DR

This study investigates how analyzing Facebook profiles and interactions can reveal factors that foster social bonds, with implications for reducing social isolation among vulnerable groups.

Contribution

It introduces a method to analyze social interactions and common life points on Facebook to understand and promote long-term social bonds.

Findings

Connectedness correlates with interaction frequency.

Shared life points increase likelihood of bonding.

Potential applications in social isolation reduction.

Abstract

In this paper we aim at understanding if and how, by analysing people's profile and historical data (such as data available on Facebook profiles and interactions, or collected explicitly) we can motivate two persons to interact and eventually create long-term bonds. We do this by exploring the relationship between connectedness, social interactions and common life points on Facebook. The results are of particular importance for the development of technology that aims at reducing social isolation for people with less chances to interact, such as older adults.