Technology bringing us closer and closer together

in 1967 following a series of experiments, US psychologist Stanley Milgram  claimed everyone in the world was connected by 6 people.   Later in 2006  the theory was upheld by Microsoft  in a study of instant messenger conversations.  A new study of social networks claims  online and mobile social networking has cut6 degrees of separation to 3.  

[The study] finds that we are usually part of three main networks based on family, friendship and work. Outside of these we are, on average, part of five main shared ‘interest’ networks based on a range of personal interests from hobbies, sport, music and the neighbourhood we live in, to religion, sexuality and politics. It is the growth of these shared interest networks and the influence of technology on them that has led to the reduction in the number of degrees of separation.

It's not just the technologies of email and mobile phones bringing us all closer and closer together but they are also widening our circle of contacts cutting across previous barriers such as location and time as well as bringing us closer to social groups outside of our age, professions, race, sexuality and so on.