Influencing dynamics on social networks without knowledge of network microstructure

TL;DR

This paper develops scalable influence strategies for social networks using coarse-grained models, enabling effective interventions without detailed network data, by leveraging ambient social fields and modular structures.

Contribution

It introduces a novel methodology for influencing Ising models on large graphs using limited data, incorporating ambient social fields to simplify control.

Findings

Ambient social fields can simplify influence control.

Coarse-grained strategies outperform traditional methods.

Effective influence can be achieved without detailed network data.

Abstract

Social network based information campaigns can be used for promoting beneficial health behaviours and mitigating polarisation (e.g. regarding climate change or vaccines). Network-based intervention strategies typically rely on full knowledge of network structure. It is largely not possible or desirable to obtain population-level social network data due to availability and privacy issues. It is easier to obtain information about individuals' attributes (e.g. age, income), which are jointly informative of an individual's opinions and their social network position. We investigate strategies for influencing the system state in a statistical mechanics based model of opinion formation. Using synthetic and data based examples we illustrate the advantages of implementing coarse-grained influence strategies on Ising models with modular structure in the presence of external fields. Our work provides a scalable methodology for influencing Ising systems on large graphs and the first exploration of the Ising influence problem in the presence of ambient (social) fields. By exploiting the observation that strong ambient fields can simplify control of networked dynamics, our findings open the possibility of efficiently computing and implementing public information campaigns using insights from social network theory without costly or invasive levels of data collection.