What does friction of distance refer to?

how is the concept of distance decay related to this?

The concept of friction of distance implies that distance requires some effort and energy to overcome. Just like motion, we need to overcome the friction between the tyre and the road before a car can set said. Also, distance requires an energy input in order to overcome.

Distance decay simply suggests that as an information goes farther away from where it was originally disseminated so also does its potency reduces till it becomes watered down. The reason why information close to a source is more potent is due to the idea of friction of distance. The energy and force of an information is always stronger in the minds of people around and closer to a place than thoe far away.