Networks are around us more than we think
Admittedly, when I first registered to take this class, it was to fulfill a requirement towards the Information Science major, however, the longer I continued in the course, the more I came to realize that networks are all around us. Although we may not consciously think about them, networks govern every interaction that we make. For every new friend we make through a mutual friend, a strong triadic closure is completed. For every cup of coffee purchased during this finals week, a series of auctions and other market arrangements determined the pricing of everything from the coffee bean, to the espresso machine, and even the hourly wage of the barista. And for every TikTok video or Instagram post liked while taking a break from studying, an algorithm based on the theories of networks and how they form the basis for popularity decides what content you’ll see.