The Dunbar Number and Social Media- Abbegayle Zwep

 The Dunbar Number theory has been a focus this semester talking about different numbers in regard to various social media apps. The Dunbar Number theory states that we can only maintain a relationship with 150 people. Then Dunbar breaks down that number into different categories of relationships with those 150 people.  Dunbar argues that we maintain 5 close friends, 15 good friends, 50 friends, and 150 acquaintances. As I said earlier, this theory can then be applied to various social media apps. For example, many people have more than 150 followers on Instagram and follow over 150 people. Many people who they don't know personally but keep in connection with over Instagram. On Snapchat, most people I know talk to around 50 people, while they may have more friends on the app they only really connect with a group of around 50. On Be Real, many people have fewer friends around 15 because the app is more intimate many want to just have their good friends on the app. Then imessages tend to be your closest friends who you talk to daily and keep the conversation going with.  That is an example of how different social media apps fit into Dunbar's Number theory. Do you think that the categories I listed popular social media apps in fit how you use the apps in your everyday life?   

Comments

  1. Rebekah KrofchickDecember 10, 2022 at 6:39 PM

    Hi there! I think Dunbar's theory fits well, at least broadly, into my use of social media apps in my everyday life. The social media apps considered less authentic often facilitate a large number of very surface-level relationships, whereas more intimate apps like Snapchat facilitate fewer relationships. This clearly mirrors the relationships I maintain in my life, as social media platforms are just a vessel through which social relationships are facilitated. I think the objectiveness of the number 150 somewhat weakens the theory's validity in this internet age technology, in my opinion, has extended our ability to maintain relationships that would be considered acquaintances. Despite this, I still think it is a strong theory for understanding layers of human relationships. Overall, great post!

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  2. Andie YoungDecember 16, 2022 at 12:10 PM

    Hi Abbegayle! Overall, I really enjoyed reading your post! It truly is interesting how the Dunbar number states that we can only truly maintain a relationship with 150 people, or acquaintances. I really enjoyed how you connected this theory to many social media apps that we all use, considering that it is very common for people to have over 150 followers on instagram or friends on snapchat. Although I do not have BeReal, the other theories regarding the Dunbar number can be applied to my own personal Instagram and Snapchat accounts, as I find that although I have much more than 150 followers and friends on both apps, I find that I really only communicate with even less than 150 of those people on either platform.

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