The study was published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General led by University of Pennsylvania researchers Danielle Cosme and Emily Falk. The researchers analysed the behavior of more than 3,000 individuals to understand why people share information on social media.

Cosme and her team tested what contributes to “value-based virality.” In other words, information on the internet often goes viral because people find it inherently valuable, either to themselves or to society.

Crafting effective messaging for social cause

This finding could help craft effective messaging for social causes, says Cosme, a research director at the Annenberg School for Communication’s Communication Neuroscience Lab. Knowing the psychological ingredients that make a person share a post on social media can help scientists share facts about climate change or public health officials dispel myths about vaccines.

Cosme’s research shows that people pay more attention to information they perceive to be related to themselves.

Similarly, humans are social beings and love to connect with each other. Sharing information activates reward centers in our brain. And when we communicate with others, we consider what the other person is thinking or wants to hear—a quality known as social relevance.

The methodology and findings

The participants were exposed to articles and social media posts about health, climate change, voting, and COVID-19. Some participants read headlines and summaries of news articles, others looked at social media posts. All of the participants rated how likely they were to share each message and how relevant they found each one to themselves and to people they know.

The researchers found that no matter the topic covered or the medium of the message, people were most likely to say they’d share messages that they perceived as self- or socially relevant. Further, they found that when participants were asked to explicitly write out why a message was relevant to themselves or people they know, they were even more likely to share it than when they just reflected on the topic.

Influencing behaviour and shifting perceptions

“Sharing information is a critical component of individual and collective action,” Cosme says. “At the beginning of the pandemic, we needed to quickly spread accurate information about what was going on, how to protect ourselves, how to protect each other. Information spreading within social networks can be really impactful for changing our individual behavior, and also changing our collective behavior through shifting our perceptions of what’s normative.”

With data on tens of thousands of messages, Cosme and her colleagues at the Communication Neuroscience Lab believe this finding can help shape effective public messaging on social media. “We’re interested in understanding how we can translate psychological theory into real-world interventions to try to promote behavior change,” Cosme says.

One way to improve content sharing is to recruit people who find the content self- or socially relevant to share messages online. Another is to frame messages to be seen as more self- or socially relevant by audiences without tailoring the messages themselves. 

“We developed message frames that could be paired with existing news and social media posts,” says Falk, the study’s senior author. “This means that the same prompts that worked in this study could be tested easily in other contexts as well.”

Further research on sharing information online

The Communication Neuroscience Lab is continuing this research by looking at brain activity in relation to social media sharing. For these studies, the researchers are using fMRI scanners to understand how specific regions of the brain shape perceptions of self and social relevance.

Overall, the team hopes that the results of the study will give those wanting to create social change the tools to do so effectively. “Big issues require collective action,” Cosme says. And spreading accurate information empowers individuals to join together and act.

“This study highlights key psychological ingredients that motivate people to share information about topics that impact our well-being,” Falk says. “Sharing is one key lever for shifting cultural norms and motivating larger scale action, so it’s really important to understand what makes it happen.”

Source: University of Pennsylvania. Original written by Hailey Reissman

The post We share information that we find meaningful, finds study appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.

However, our brain needs constant reminding of our sense of self. It tends to forget if we don’t feed it with regular information, confirming the kind of person we are. So, every day we do things that provide confirmation of our sense of self. When you are with friends, for instance, and your subconscious is thinking, “I’m a witty person”, you will make some comments that get a laugh. That laughter acts as feedback to your brain effectively saying, “I told you so, I am witty.” Throughout our daily life, our brain gets constant feedback to confirm our sense of self.

So, when we see the opportunity to get even more feedback on who we are, we grasp it with both hands. Tweeting, posting on Facebook, or adding a picture on Instagram all help us gain more feedback through comments, shares and likes.

In one sense, therefore, social media updating is a healthy pursuit as it helps us be more aware of ourselves.

The downside

But there are also downsides to all this self-broadcasting. Here are a few that you may identify with:

• One issue appears to be that of envy. When we see many people posting holiday pictures or a Tweet saying what a wonderful restaurant they are in [again], we can feel somewhat deflated if our daily life is just “normal”. For some people, this can be a serious issue. Those individuals who are already suffering from depressive illness may experience a worsening of their condition, if they feel that their social media friends are having a more interesting life than themselves.
• There is also evidence that when we have been using social media, spending time talking about ourselves, we are less likely to be thinking straight. This means that the activities we undertake immediately after a social media session could cause problems. For e.g. people tend to overspend after social media activity.

• 

  We are more likely to use social media to broadcast our lives towards the end of the day. So social media activity, particularly from mobile devices, disrupts sleep. That, in itself, can have negative long-term health implications.

• The self-broadcasting obsession that some people have with social media can affect relationships. Indeed, Facebook is now cited as an issue in a significant number of divorce cases.

What’s the way out?

So how can you gain the benefits of sharing your life on social media, without any of the downsides?

The answer is routine. One of the reasons why people constantly jab at their mobile phones in the hope that someone has sent them a message is related to survival instincts. If we don’t know when or if we are going to get food, then we just eat what we can and when we can. It is the same principle with social media—if we don’t know when or if we are going to get a message, we constantly look for them. However, by establishing a social media routine, you always know when the next batch of messages will arrive.

When people have regular mealtimes the same time everyday, they tend to remain the same weight. People who put on weight tend to have sporadic mealtimes. So their subconscious gets them to eat at any opportunity because it does not know if or when another meal may arrive. That’s why snacking leads to weight gain. Set regular meal times and you are much less likely to gain weight.

It is the same with social media updating. Set a regular time to do it every single day and your brain soon gets used to knowing that you will get your “fix” at 9pm tonight for half an hour—or whatever time you go online. Once you have a routine like that established, you also improve your relationships with those around you, plus you get better sleep as you are not constantly on your mobile until you drift off.

Setting a daily routine to deal with all your social media activity in one or two sessions a day will help you gain the positives while reducing the negative consequences.

This was first published in the February 2016 issue of Complete Wellbeing.

The post Are you revealing too much about yourself on social media? appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.

The first thing I did this morning was check Facebook. Why? Because, as embarrassed as I am to admit, for better or worse, it’s become a part of my life. That’s sort of like admitting you enjoy watching the parliamentary proceedings for fun, or that you really like sticking your tongue into spinning fans. How did this happen? I’m not really sure. I think some of it is addiction, like a rat getting a food pellet every time he presses a button. So each ‘like’ is a little imaginary food pellet that feeds my sense of… something. Self-worth? I don’t think that’s it. Peer approval? Maybe.

Also, I get to peep into the lives of, and interact with, a lot of different people from my past and future with the click of a mouse. I think the bigger reason I check Facebook multiple times a day is because it’s become a source of entertainment for me—it has replaced the newspaper, reading fiction [except for the obvious fiction of people’s Facebook lives and most political posts] and watching too much TV.

Is it better than all or any of these things? I doubt it. It’s mostly time-wasting trash. Having said that, I’ll admit that I read it before work, during my lunch break, after work, and at night before I go to sleep. I even read it when I’m sitting on the toilet, [don’t judge me, I know you all do it too, and that’s why I will never ask to borrow your cell phone] and whenever else the mood strikes me. In short, I am on Facebook way too much, and it needs to stop. Starting tomorrow. Or the next day. Next week at the latest.

What would happen if you woke up tomorrow morning, and Facebook was down?

So is Facebook your friend or your enemy?

I’m pretty sure Facebook has become that friend you run into in the market and at first you’re glad to see them—then they start following you around the store, incessantly talking about themselves until you’re contemplating faking an epileptic seizure just to get them to stop showing you pictures of every meal they ate on their trip to Italy.

How Facebook helps me… I’m still wondering

All that got me thinking—what would happen if I woke up tomorrow morning, and Facebook was down? I don’t mean down for an hour, or down for a day—I mean down for good. What would I do? For that matter, what would the one billion-plus other users do? Well, for starters, we’d have a lot more free time to work on things like world hunger and global warming. Too grandiose? Fine! We’d have more time to do laundry so we didn’t have to sniff socks in the hamper and pick the freshest pair for work on Monday. And who knows? Maybe with all that extra time, an ordinary person would do something extraordinary. Here’s an example: Yesterday, I spent three minutes of my life watching a video of a pug walking around on his front legs and peeing in the air for a solid minute and a half. Number one, that was a lot of pee, and number two, yes, you’re correct. I watched it twice. Again, don’t judge me.

What would I have done with that extra time? Honestly, probably not much, but when you really think about it, it adds up. If I could have back every minute of my life I’ve wasted on Facebook, I probably would have already written another book. Probably two, if I’m honest with myself. Would I have solved world hunger or brokered peace in the Middle East? No, but on the other hand I would have wasted a few less brain cells.

The top excuse to be on Facebook—finding lost friends

I have friends who aren’t on Facebook, and older relatives who don’t even know what Facebook is. I am slowly coming to the conclusion that they’re better off for it. Yes, I’ve gotten back in touch with some old classmates, but generally, those conversations go like this:

Old classmate you forgot about sends you a friend request. You accept and then…

You:  “Hi, how are you? Wow, hard to believe it’s been 20 years already!  What have you been up to?”

Them: {Insert highly-embellished life story here}

You: “That’s so great! Congratulations! It was really good to touch base after all these years. Keep in touch. We must get together!”

Them: “You too! Talk to you soon!”

Then you never hear from them again.

That’s the best-case scenario. The worst case scenario is one in which they invade your Facebook timeline and do one or more of the following:

1. Post non-stop pictures of their children, beginning at age two and continuing chronologically until they’ve graduated from college, moved out, gotten married, gotten divorced and then moved back home.
2. Invite you to play 1,243 different games that involve things like words, candy, jewels or various farm animals. Or sometimes even all of them together. [What? You’ve never played Words with Jewelled Candy Cows Saga before? You have no idea what you’re missing.]
3. Send you links to conspiracy theory articles or articles containing questionable political content that a first grader could refute without putting down his or her Xbox controller.

It’s generally a waste of time for both of you and it makes you realise why you never kept in touch with that person to begin with.

I have friends who aren’t on Facebook, and older relatives who don’t even know what Facebook is

If Facebook didn’t exist, you’d just have to get used to thinking things like:

“I wonder how that one guy from high school is doing these days? Hmm, I guess I’ll never know.” Or, “I haven’t seen a funny cat video in a long time. I might have to go to YouTube and watch a few.”

Then later in the day you could think, “Guess it’s time to go stalk that girl who broke up with me six years ago. No wait, I don’t have time for that right now. Maybe on the weekend, when I have a couple of extra hours to drive around her building over and over until I see her leave for her hair appointment.” OK, I took it to a dark place there for a minute, but you get what I mean.

My advice to you is this: Take a break from Facebook. Read a newspaper, or a magazine or even a novel. Call someone you haven’t talked to in a while and ask them to lunch. Granted, when you call them they’ll probably be busy watering their imaginary crops, crushing candy or watching a video of a pug peeing while walking on his front paws, but try yelling “OMG! LOL!” That usually gets their attention. Ironically, social media is anything but social. Only you and 1.4 billion other users can change that. The next time you find yourself floating aimlessly on Facebook, ask yourself “If Facebook didn’t exist what would I be doing now?” And then go do that.

The post Why you should take a break from Facebook appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.

Unlike the trolls represented in literature, there is nothing magical about internet trolls, and if you spend time online, you are bound to run into one. They love to hang out in crowded online communities, eagerly waiting for a post to appear on a site and comment on anything that could create complete chaos. Their goal is simple—to disrupt the flow of communication while having a laugh at another’s expense. Here are some of the tactics they use to entice their victim to respond to their virtual jabs:

• Name-calling
• Insults
• Deliberately saying and doing dumb things
• Put-downs
• Rants
• Harassment
• Off-topic posts

Once they get the community riled up, they sit back and watch their plan unfold. Trolls love to engage in combative and non-productive inflammatory jests which often leave their victim[s] feeling defeated, humiliated, insecure and sometimes even threatened. These individuals often play with people’s emotions and don’t know when to stop.

Why would someone be cruel online?

Since trolling is a relatively new phenomenon, research is lacking on what the motive and personality characteristics of people who participate in trolling is. But, if we agree that all practising socially acceptable behaviour serves a purpose, then clearly internet trolls are getting some type of kick out of their actions. But what are they getting? Furthermore, what are some of the personality quirks associated with this type of behaviour? Let’s understand the psyche of online trolls.

Online trolls are:

1. Emotionally detached

   People who troll have lost the feeling of empathy. They have desensitised themselves to the feelings of the person on the other side of the screen. The computer creates a barrier to human emotion and it’s hard to detect how much damage is being done when they can’t see how the person on the receiving end is responding. Plus, a screen allows leeway for the troll to do whatever they want without any accountability. Thus, they engage in conduct that they never would have done in a face-to-face interaction.

2. Identity coverers

   Within a matter of minutes, 53-year-old Sam can become 25-year-old Christina, and you’ll never know who he really is because he has concealed his identity. People who troll conceal their identity and hide behind a cloak of anonymity. If they can’t be seen, they can behave anyway they want [or so they think]. Many people who troll the internet take great pride in masking their true identity. In a matter of minutes they can create a fictitious profile, switching their gender and age; and if you ask for proof, they send a photo of their fake self easily pulled off the internet.

3. Leading a double life

   Similar to point 2 above, people who troll feel empowered by their online persona and may use the internet as a means to say and behave in ways they wish they could in their real lives. Internet trolls like juicy gossip, they like tabloid headlines and they like to nose around in other people’s lives, but they can’t seem to get a handle on their own. It’s almost as if the troll takes on an independent personality to cope with their current life situation.

4. Deceptive manipulators

   Unfortunately, some people who troll enjoy deceiving and playing with the emotions of others. Research has found a correlation between trolls and sadistic behaviour. So these people take great pride in humiliating and degrading other people. They enjoy watching others suffer. Maybe they are suffering in their own life and this is the only way they can get back at others. For instance, someone who is bullied in the workplace might retaliate online. So in a sense, trolling serves as a means of retribution for the things that have gone wrong in their own lives.

How should one deal with trolls?

If you want to steer clear of trolls, you have to beat them at their own game. Understand what feeds and drives them to take things to the next level. Listed below are some things you need to know about people who troll.

Characteristics of a typical online troll

Here are a few characteristics of a troll

1. They love it when you retaliate. When they know they have exasperated you, they will intensify their ill-mannered tactics
2. You cannot reason with them; they are irrational
3. They lack manners and therefore don’t operate under the conventional terms of social etiquette
4. They will not let you win or have the last word.

Practical tips to help you deal with a troll

If you are the victim of a troll, do not fret. Here are some tips to help you when you encounter trolling situations:

1. First disengage from any combative conversation. Do not let yourself get personally absorbed in an unhealthy dialogue. Every electronic device has an amazing little button that powers it off. Use it.
2. Take a break and get away from the computer. The online world creates a lot of impulsivity. Often you may feel that you need to respond immediately. This is dangerous. When you respond impulsively, you are reacting. It is okay to get away and put time and space between yourself and the situation. Time and space will help you calm down, clear your head and figure out a more appropriate way to respond.
3. Don’t take it as a personal attack. This is easier said than done, but you have to separate who you as a person are from what you are being attacked for online. Odds are, the person trolling you doesn’t even know you personally. So regardless of how unkind and personal the troll can become, it’s not a direct attack on the individual.
4. Cut off the conversation. Come up with simple statements like “You are entitled to your opinion, but rude and personal comments are unwarranted and unwelcome.” Then completely disengage from the conversation.
5. Do not engage in accusatory lingo online. For example, be wary of ‘you’ messages, as they can create a hostile conversation. Here is an example:
   — “You don’t know what you’re talking about. How can you be so stupid?”
   A better approach is expressing your own perspectives, views and opinions by using ‘I’ messages. Here is an example:
   — “I disagree with your statement and the view is not reflective of current research.”
6. Ensure your safety. If at any point in time your safety is threatened, you are harassed and the intent behind the trolling is to cause you harm, you must report the incident[s] to the site providers. Keep a record or screenshots of all of the threatening posts. You may need this information in the event you have to pursue legal action.

The virtual world is an intriguing world. As a matter of fact, many of us couldn’t do our jobs or function efficiently without the internet. Unfortunately, as long as the online community exists so will trolls. So, accept them for what they are—nuisances who serve no true purpose except to create trouble with a capital T [for Troll].