# Exploiting all phone media? A multidimensional network analysis of phone users' sociality

**Authors:** Matteo Zignani, Christian Quadri, Sabrina Gaitto, Gian Paolo Rossi  
**arXiv:** [1401.3126](https://arxiv.org/abs/1401.3126)  
**Date:** 2014-01-14  
**Summary page:** https://www.summarizepaper.com/en/paper/1401.3126v1/

## Key points

- Growing awareness of the stratified structure of human communications and social interactions
- Influence of techno-communication channels such as online social networks, mobile phone calls, SMS, and emails
- Emergence of multidimensional networks as an extension of classical Social Network Analysis
- First investigation into a multiplex mobile social network
- Data collected from millions of users over 12 weeks, focusing on call and text message activities
- Previous studies only provided a partial understanding by separately analyzing call and text message data
- Valuable information about links and nodes can be lost by considering only a single layer
- Users adopt different media channels to interact with their neighborhood
- Complexity and interconnectedness inherent in multiplex mobile social networks
- Importance of considering multiple communication channels when studying social networks
- Individuals utilize different media platforms for distinct purposes within their social interactions

## Summary

The study focuses on the growing awareness of the stratified structure of human communications and social interactions, which is influenced by the availability of various techno-communication channels such as online social networks, mobile phone calls, short messages (SMS), and emails. This has led to the emergence of multidimensional networks as an extension of classical Social Network Analysis. While previous research has explored theoretical frameworks and analyzed examples of multidimensional social networks, this study presents the first investigation into a multiplex mobile social network. The researchers collected data from millions of users of a large mobile phone operator over a period of 12 weeks, specifically examining call and text message activities. Previous studies have separately analyzed call data and text message data, providing only a partial understanding of people's sociality expressed through their phones. By analyzing how the call and text message dimensions overlap, this study demonstrates that valuable information about links and nodes can be lost by considering only a single layer. Additionally, it reveals how users adopt different media channels to interact with their neighborhood. This research expands our understanding of human communication patterns in the digital age by highlighting the complexity and interconnectedness inherent in multiplex mobile social networks. The findings emphasize the importance of considering multiple communication channels when studying social networks and suggest that individuals utilize different media platforms for distinct purposes within their social interactions. Overall, this study contributes to the theoretical framework for analyzing multidimensional networks and provides insights into the dynamics of human communication in contemporary society.