MEMBERS:

Adao, Anna Patricia A.

Aguilar, Ace Victore A.
Bracamonte, Marithe Ysabel B.
Casicas, Chinito Reel L.
Chavez, Neily Gwenne S.
De Guzman, Stephen Nicole E.
Hije, Jaika Mae T.
Sabornido, Leila Mae
Sobremonte, Patricia O.
Ted, Kariza Mae C.

GEDO105SEC43

F4: Mathematics of Social Networks

How Friendship Paradox affects our Social Behavior?

Since the pattern of mathematics behind the friendship paradox is somehow related to a term
called "mutuals". In social media, it can be seen where your friends' companion are also your friends
because there is a linkage. The linkage between you and the stranger is your common friend. So in
positive face of its effects, people are able to make acquaintances. Because of this, the more people
they meet—different traits, capabilities, position, etc., the more chances of being a sociable person they
may be. They know how to deal with this people while it’s negative effect for an individual is, the person
may somehow take this friendship paradox as negative. It can mold insecurity and pressure towards the
person thinking that the other one is higher, popular than them. Concluded to that, it always builds
comparability but it depends on one person whether they will take the concept of friendship paradox
negatively or positively.

Mathematical Computation of Friendship Paradox

Individual No. of Friends Average No. of Friend of Friends

Stephen 1 3
Chinito 3 1.67
Marithe 2 2.50
Pat 2 2.50
Total 8
Average 2 2.25
 2.25 > 2
For the Mathematical proof, there are "n" individuals in the Friendship Paradox. The individuals
Stephen, Chinito, Marithe, and Patricia has score "x", or Number of friends based on the given diagram.
To solve the average score of individuals, use this formula: μ = Σ xi/n.

Wherein you add all the given value in number of friends or i's score and then divide it by its count
numbers. To compute the total score of i's friends or also called as the number of friends of each
individual's friends, we just need to add all the particular person on their friend's scores: (xi)^2

Example: If Chinito is friends with Stephen, Marithe, and Patricia, we'll just add up the scores of
Chinito's friends. x₁, x₃, x₄

While for the computation of average number of friends of individuals friends or average score of i's
friends, divide the total score of individual to its individual scores: Σ (x₁)^2 / Σx₁

For Example, Chinito's total score of individual's friends is 5 ajd its individuals' score is 3 divide the two.
5/3= 1.67

By the statistics get the variance: σ^2 = (Σ (x₁)^2 /n) - μ^2. And then rearranging it to: Σ (x₁)^2 = (μ^2 +
σ^2)n into Σ (x₁)^2 / Σx₁ = (μ^2 + σ^2)n/ (μn) = μ + (σ^2/μ) . Hence: To get the average score of
individuals' friends = μ + (σ^2/μ)

Therefore, on average, each individual has 2 friends. Whereas on average, each friend has 2.25 friends

How Friendship Paradox affects Social Media platforms?

Friendship paradox affects social media platforms because according to the researchers in
McGill, people who use social media tend to follow those who have more followers than themselves,
the reason why our friends have more friends than we do because they are more likely more active and
more influential in social media than ours. Researchers explained that people who have social media
mostly increases followers/following because we are following people who have a greater amount of
followers and more influential than us. It will never decreases your followers/following because people
inclined with the idea of striving to be more popular by following who has a lot of connections.

Why some of our friends are popular than ours?

Basically, some of our friends are popular than ours because they follow a lot of people than we
do. There’s a research in Independent articles, which provides concept named as, ”Strange Social
Phenomenon” which stated that the more chances a ”friend” followed others in their social media
accounts, the more it considered as ”friends” though that friend doesn’t consider them as what we call
”true friend in real life, one to cry on, etc.”. It’s a strange social phenomenon that drives everyone
having an increasing number friend of friends.
 In some instances, one of the reasons why some of our friends are popular than ours is because
they’re expose in real life, maybe having a position, legacy or power. They’re well-known people. The
more people noticed them, or observed by many, the more they’re considered “popular”.

REFERENCES:

Washington, T. (2018) Independent: Why you’re less popular than some of your friends.
http://independentco.uk/paradox

Go, D. (2017) FactsOnly: Negative and positive effects of having a lot of friends. http://facts/negative-
positive-effects-of-having-a-lot-of-friends.uk/0152681

Syclop, B. (2018) Insider: Different Traits molded in being sociable. http://traits-molded-in-social-

terms//152728

Jan, T. (2017) Medical Daily: Social Media is Not Immune to the ”Friendship Paradox,’ Which States that
Your Friends have more Friends than you do”.
https://www.google.com.ph/amp/s/www.medicaldaily.com/social-media-friendship-paradox-friends-
popular