In a network diagram, solid lines represent strong ties and dashed lines represent weak ties, illustrating how networks of different tie composition behave. A key factor is the degree of separation between two actors: the number of intermediate ties that information must traverse to link them. As the degree of separation increases, it becomes harder to transmit information across the network and to form integrative bonds with nodes outside one's immediate group, because messages must pass through more intermediaries and rely more heavily on weak-tie bridges.