Six Degrees of Messenger

The story that we're all connected by 6 degrees of separation may not always work in the real world. This fascinating concept about the way our social networks are set up has plenty of critics and skeptics. In the world of instant messaging, though, this maxim has been vindicated. A study by Microsoft researchers shows that users of Microsoft Messenger are separated, on average, by about 6.6 "steps" between mutual friends.

Jure Leskovec and Eric Horvitz analyzed 4.5 Terabytes of data, representing all the usage of Microsoft Messenger in one month during the summer of 2006. The information was anonymous, but the researchers used general demographic data (age, zip code, gender, etc.) to produce some interesting results. Their findings break down into 3 major areas: age, gender, and geography.

In general the study shows that even online we stick with our own. The majority of our conversations take place with others who share our language. The next strongest factors are geographical distance and age group.

The world of messaging has always had a strong over-representation of people between the ages of 15 and 35. According to the data, this younger segment also tends to communicate mostly with others in the same age group. This changes as we get older. Users over 35 show less bias based on age. Our conversations also get deeper with age, it seems. While people over the age of 50 have fewer IM conversations in general, their conversations are generally longer and involve more messages. Interestingly, the conversations also got slower, with less "messages per hour" than younger users.

As for gender, guys talking to guys are just as taciturn online as on the phone. The average male-male conversation was shorter than any other based on gender. The average male spent 4 minutes per conversation with other males. Female-female conversations averaged 4.5 minutes apiece. The study also confirmed that we invest more in conversations with the opposite sex. Half of all IM exchanges were between opposite sexes, and these conversations averaged 5 minutes each. Opposite genders involved in conversation with each other also tended to do web searches for similar subjects, indicating that we really do pay more attention to communicating with current or prospective mates.

Next, the study describes the geographical results. Distance-wise, we stay close to home. The research shows a peak in communications at distances of 500km or about 312 miles. The researchers theorize that this is partly the result of geographic features. For example, past a distance of 3000km, there is a sharp decline in the amount of communications. This distance is also the approximate width of the Atlantic Ocean, giving a probable explanation for the decrease in links.

Looking at a map of what countries talk to each other the most, the conclusions about "homophily", or associating with people like yourself, still hold true. Spanish-speaking countries in Central and South America have strong links to each other and Spain. Taiwan, China, Hong Kong and the Korean peninsula form a tight network. Turkey shows strong links to Germany, which has a large population of Turkish immigrants.

The countries of the Arabic-speaking world stick close together and also communicate heavily with France, a former colonial power in North Africa and home to a large population of Arabs. These countries also have some of the longest conversations out of all the places in the study, a reflection of the family-oriented, close-knit culture of the area.

These conclusions are interesting, but not surprising. To me, the most important result is proof of something I've believed for a while. Instant Messaging can span the globe, but for the most part it doesn't make you new friends. The social network stays more or less same. It's just another medium to keep in touch with those you already know.