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examined to reveal commonalities and buying behaviors. Examined
over time, dynamic models of actual changes in behavior can be
mapped or predicted by varying parameters. These same tools are

used to model the spread of diseases (epidemiology), predict virus
spreading in computer networks, and anticipate cascading failures in
electrical grids and much more.

The Social Media Platforms

Awareness of networks has boomed in the last two decades in the
general population with the arrival of social media platforms on the
internet.

The big social media platforms have facilitated mass communication
coupled with instant data gathering on people and links across the

internet. This treasure trove of dynamic data has revolutionized
marketing.

Facebook, Twitter, Google, LinkedIn, eBay, TripAdvisor, etc. collect
data on the nodes (you and me, with our attributes: age, sex, location,

attitudes, etc. etc.) and our links/ties (to whom, their strength,
direction, degree). These data are sold commercially for purposes
of market analysis/segmentation and highly targeted
communications.

The social media companies collect data by offering a free service to

the nodes (communicating with friends, instant messaging, search
services that link a keyword to its use, access to potential employers)
and levering our practical and psychological needs (e.g., to get a job, to

be esteemed as measured by numbers of followers to encourage us to
fill in our profiles and form links), sell it with analytical tools
(graphical and cluster analysis) to commercial users (advertising,
promotion), and then provide a vehicle for communicating the seller's

message (placed advertisements and sponsored stories).

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