Stewardship of global collective behavior
Joseph B. Bak-Coleman (University of Washington)
Mark Alfano (Australian Catholic University, TU Delft - Technology, Policy and Management)
Wolfram Barfuss (Potsdam-Institut für Klimafolgenforschung, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen)
Carl T. Bergstrom (University of Washington)
Miguel A. Centeno (Princeton University)
Iain D. Couzin (Universität Konstanz, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell am Bodensee)
Jonathan F. Donges (Potsdam-Institut für Klimafolgenforschung, Stockholm University)
Mirta Galesic (Santa Fe Institute)
Andrew S. Gersick (Princeton University)
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Abstract
Collective behavior provides a framework for understanding how the actions and properties of groups emerge from the way individuals generate and share information. In humans, information flows were initially shaped by natural selection yet are increasingly structured by emerging communication technologies. Our larger, more complex social networks now transfer high-fidelity information over vast distances at low cost. The digital age and the rise of social media have accelerated changes to our social systems, with poorly understood functional consequences. This gap in our knowledge represents a principal challenge to scientific progress, democracy, and actions to address global crises. We argue that the study of collective behavior must rise to a “crisis discipline” just as medicine, conservation, and climate science have, with a focus on providing actionable insight to policymakers and regulators for the stewardship of social systems.
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