While social networks are often perceived as platforms for exchange and interaction, the authors examine how deep and high-quality these relationships truly are.
By analyzing over 440,000 non-private messages in social media networks, the researchers identified four key factors for high relationship quality: personality, curiosity, respect, and sharing. These factors contribute to making digital interactions feel more genuine and valuable—similar to personal conversations.
The study, titled "Capturing the ‘Social’ in Social Networks," demonstrates that social networks are not only defined by their structure but, more importantly, by the quality of interactions between users. This has significant implications for companies and platform operators: a more conscious design of social media environments could help strengthen relationships and make digital interactions more human.
The publication in a top-ranked journal (A* in the ABDC ranking) highlights the scientific excellence and global impact of the research – a significant achievement for the University of Liechtenstein!
For more information on the study: "Capturing the “Social” in Social Networks: The Conceptualization and E" by Christian Meske, Iris Junglas et al.