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Social media could be becoming increasingly angry because expressing outrage online garners more likes than other interactions, a new study has suggested.
A team of scientists from Yale University found out that “likes” and “shares” on social media could be “teaching” people to be angrier, because users learn expressions of moral outrage get rewarded with an increased number of “likes” and “shares”.
The research, published in journal Science Advances, assessed how the behaviour of social media users changed over time, analysing a total of 12.7 million tweets from over 7,300 Twitter users.
According to their observations, researchers found that the incentives social media platforms offer really do alter the way people post.
Users who received more “likes” and “retweets” when they expressed outrage in a tweet were more likely to to keep the trend going by expressing the same emotion in their follow-up tweets.
“Social media’s incentives are changing the tone of our political conversations online,” said Dr William Brady, a postdoctoral researcher in the Yale department of psychology and first author of the study.
“This is the first evidence that some people learn to express more outrage over time because they are rewarded by the basic design of social media.”
From newfound resilience to the sudden ability to put together a sour dough starter, the last year has taught us a lot about ourselves – but perhaps one of the most marked observations can be found in our response to social invitations.
Turns out the pandemic has called time on people-pleasing, as women learn that it’s ok to say ‘no’ to things they actually don’t want to do.
A new survey by BLOOM Gin has seen women overwhelmingly agree that the events of the past 18 months have made them more comfortable in shaking their heads to things they’d really rather not attend – including boring dates, tacky hen parties or that tedious family gathering with distant relatives.
Instead, nearly half are choosing to invest their time in gatherings and get-togethers that are meaningful to them, opting out of dreaded nights out with acquaintances to spend time in their own company, or with close friends and family they’ve really missed.
Marie Claire Dorking
Tue, August 17, 2021, 1:51 PM·7 min read
Saying ‘no’ can be empowering. (Getty Images)
From newfound resilience to the sudden ability to put together a sour dough starter, the last year has taught us a lot about ourselves – but perhaps one of the most marked observations can be found in our response to social invitations.
Turns out the pandemic has called time on people-pleasing, as women learn that it’s ok to say ‘no’ to things they actually don’t want to do.
A new survey by BLOOM Gin has seen women overwhelmingly agree that the events of the past 18 months have made them more comfortable in shaking their heads to things they’d really rather not attend – including boring dates, tacky hen parties or that tedious family gathering with distant relatives.
Instead, nearly half are choosing to invest their time in gatherings and get-togethers that are meaningful to them, opting out of dreaded nights out with acquaintances to spend time in their own company, or with close friends and family they’ve really missed.
Read more: Why social media rage gets the most likes – and we all need to calm down
Why has the pandemic inspired us to say no?
With lockdown enabling us to spend more time at home, with more time away from work and social lives, life coach Puja McClymont says it has thrown a light on just how much time, and money, we invest in people and things that don’t actually make us happy.
“During this year of reflection, women in particular have realised just how much running around they do, how much people-pleasing – and generally, it has highlighted how much more they need to prioritise themselves,” she explains.
McClymont has noticed a growing number of women visiting her practice who are fed up of putting everyone and everything else first and are instead turning to more personal development so that they can start enjoying their lives again – with much success.
