A single post can shift a conversation. A single user can change the direction of a whole community. Online, these small moments add up fast — and they shape how we think, act, and make decisions together. Our next Digital Trust and Security Seminar looks at these hidden patterns inside social networks. Dr Tao Wen will guide us through how ideas spread, how influence moves from person to person, and how we can even trace where a piece of information began. The concepts are deep, but he explains them with clear, simple examples that make the science feel intuitive. What the session explores * How people make decisions as part of a network, not in isolation * How certain users can accelerate the spread of information * How to identify the starting point of an information cascade * Why these behaviours matter for trust, safety, and digital society Event details Date: Thursday, May 7, 2026 Time: 1 pm – 3 pm GMT Location: University of Manchester campus Digital Trust and Security Seminar: Dr Tao Wen Free registration: https://tinyurl.com/2k2bk6hs Talk title: Modeling and Analyzing User Behavior and Decision-Making in Social Networks Dr Tao Wen is a Research Fellow in AI Trust and Security at Alliance Manchester Business School. His work sits at the intersection of network science, decision analytics, and collective behaviour — and he brings these topics to life in a way that’s engaging and accessible. This seminar is ideal for anyone curious about how ideas move through digital spaces and how online communities shape the world around us. Free registration: https://tinyurl.com/2k2bk6hs Kind regards, Kitty kitty.lo@manchester.ac.uk<mailto:kitty.lo@manchester.ac.uk> | Communications and Engagement Coordinator | Research Platforms Team - Digital Futures<http://www.digitalfutures.manchester.ac.uk/> | The University of Manchester | Pronouns (She/her) Christie Building | The University of Manchester | Oxford Road | M13 9PL Sign up to the Digital Futures newsletter here - https://tinyurl.com/digitalfuturesuom