We mammals have a unique part of our brain called the neocortex that separates us from every other animal on the planet. Among mammals, neocortex sizes vary greatly and humans having the largest neocortex. The research is still not yet definitive as to why humans are the largest. The most popular theory, created by biologist Robin Dunbar, says that the size of the neocortex “correlates with the number of social variables such as group size and the complexity of social mating behaviors.”
In his New York Times bestselling book, The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell dedicates a chapter to the magic number 150. Through his citations, he shows that the number 150 shows up over and over again throughout history as the maximum size for positively functioning social groups. Groups larger than 150 have a decreasing level of intimacy, interdependency, and efficiency.
It seems that 150 is the evolutionary maximum capacity of our neocortex.
As much as some people would like to think that somehow 2008 is the apex of human evolution, is it possible that social networking tools like Facebook are making our brains, more specifically, our neocortex evolve again by growing larger to manage a larger social circle?
As I type this, I have a whopping 806 Facebook “friends” linked to my profile**. One third are old school friends, another third are professional friends from my work, and the last third are randoms I’ve picked up along the way.
Do I actually talk to all of them? Depends on what you mean by “talk.” That depends on what you mean by “talk.” I don’t have emotional heart-to-heart conversations with all 806 friends. That’s impossible due to time and lack of relationship depth. Those conversations happen with my inner circle of friends.
But Facebook has allowed me to keep a very large social group of “associates” at a relationship depth that I think is greater than it’s ever been without exerting more energy. I talk to my “associates” a few times a year but am updated on their lives continuously from their newsfeed, so the growth of the relationship isn’t stagnating.
I scan my Facebook newsfeed once or twice a day to get a quick update on my friends/associates actions/feelings. The more interesting and active someone’s newsfeed, the higher on my social graph they go.
The latest Facebook updates allow you to comment on newsfeed items, so now I’m not only taking in info but easier than ever before, I’m able to respond to the info, thus closing the social loop.
Next time you’re on Facebook and your brain starts to hurt, maybe it’s not the fact you’ve been staring at a computer screen for 10 hours, but rather it’s your neocortex trying to expand to manage your larger social network.
