Exploring strategies for improving nutrition and planetary health

Relying too heavily on influencers when trying to make change can be ineffectual and even backfire, said Damon Centola, a professor from the Annenberg School for Communication who studies social networks and behavior change. Complex ideas and new behaviors don’t spread like a virus, he said. Centola shared two models of social networks—one shaped like an exploding firework and another like a fishing net. The firework model has an influential person at its center, disseminating ideas in straight lines to their connections. But Centola’s research has shown that while this model is good for getting information out quickly, it doesn’t foster adoption of new behavior. That requires more social reinforcement.