If the network only forwarded/spread information that is linked with [friends],[near-friends], [distant-friends] as selected by the user, this would create a social network that more closely the uses actual social network.

If the chain of in-person interactions for a [distant-friend] becomes broke (for instance, because a friend connection link drops out) that information is trimmed from the user’s network.

Perhaps this incentivizes direct social interaction rather the false social interactions of legacy networks.