Podcast Summary
Understanding the Rules of Engagement on the Internet: The internet's 'devil's playbook' includes 4 rules (Outrage, Polarization, Social Proof, Engagement) that explain why it can feel negative and extremist, and knowing them can help us navigate it better
The internet, with its endless stream of content, can be overwhelming and negatively impact our sense of identity and reality. According to Professor Jay Van Bavel, a psychologist and neuroscientist at New York University, we casually scroll through an estimated 300 feet of content every day. His research reveals that the rules of engagement on the internet can lead to negativity, extremism, and tribalism. In today's episode of Plain English, Derek Thompson shares Van Bavel's "devil's playbook" for getting attention on the web, which includes four rules that explain why the internet can feel like a cesspool of negativity and extremism. These rules include the "Outrage Rule," the "Polarization Rule," the "Social Proof Rule," and the "Engagement Rule." Understanding these rules can help us navigate the internet more effectively and protect ourselves from its negative effects. Tune in to Plain English to learn more about these rules and how they're shaping our online experiences.
How online environments trigger group dynamics: Online environments can easily trigger group dynamics, leading to increased affinity, cooperation, and identification, but also to extreme views, misinformation, echo chambers, and endless consumption
Our brains are wired to form groups and identities, which can be easily triggered in various social environments, including online. According to Dr. Jay Van Bavel's research, it takes only a coin flip or a shared interest to make us feel part of a group, leading to increased affinity, cooperation, and identification. However, being in an online environment where multiple group dynamics overlap can make it challenging to think independently. Dr. Van Bavel identified four "bad laws" of Internet and social media engagement based on his research, which include the law of group polarization, the law of social contagion, the law of filter bubbles, and the law of infinite consumption. These laws explain how group dynamics on the Internet can lead to extreme views, the spread of misinformation, the creation of echo chambers, and endless consumption, respectively. Understanding these laws can help us navigate the online world more effectively and promote healthier digital engagement.
Negativity and Extremism Boost Engagement Online: Negative words in headlines increase clicks by 2%, positive words decrease clicks. Outgroup animosity and emotional language also drive engagement online.
Negativity and extremism drive engagement online, as shown in a study of over 370 million impressions from news articles on Upworthy. The study found that negative words in headlines increased click-through rates by over 2%, while positive words decreased the likelihood of a headline being clicked on. This phenomenon can be explained by our evolutionary wiring to detect threats and avoid negative experiences, which has been manipulated by media to increase engagement. Upworthy, famous for its viral headlines, conducted AB testing on headlines for the same stories, allowing researchers to control for the underlying substance and find that negative headlines tended to get more clicks. Additionally, outgroup animosity and moral, emotional language also drive engagement online, as discussed in further research. These findings highlight the importance of understanding the psychological drivers of engagement in the digital age.
Human tendency to focus on negativity drives engagement in news and social media: Negativity bias and extremist opinions draw more attention online, shaping news and social media landscapes
Negativity and extremism are key drivers of engagement in news media and on social platforms. Negativity bias, an inherent human tendency to pay closer attention to threatening or negative information, is the most fundamental bias in news media. This bias is not only present among journalists but also among audiences, who are drawn to negative content due to an evolutionary instinct to pay attention to threats. Similarly, extremist opinions receive more engagement online than moderate ones, as a small group of individuals often dominates online conversations. These findings have important implications for understanding the news and social media landscapes and the need to critically evaluate the information we consume.
Extreme users and algorithms fuel online extremism: Extreme users generate most political posts, algorithms prioritize them, users learn to be more extreme, but there are limits to how far conversations can go before pushback from individuals and effective content promotion methods.
Extreme users and algorithms create a reinforcing loop of extremism in online conversations. With 97% of political posts on Twitter coming from just 10% of the most active users, these individuals, who tend to hold ideologically extreme views, generate the majority of comments and engagement. Algorithms then prioritize these extreme posts, creating a norm for further extreme commentary. Users learn to use the algorithm to their advantage, becoming more extreme over time. However, it's important to note that there are limits to how far these conversations can go before people push back. Research suggests that individuals have a latitude of what they will accept from their own group, but not from others. Extreme perspectives from outgroups may be met with criticism, silencing, or even cancel culture. Additionally, some social media ecosystems seem to have more effective methods for promoting quality content, providing examples of healthier online conversations.
Effective moderation shapes online discourse: Proper moderation promotes accurate and balanced discussions, mitigating pluralistic ignorance and false polarization.
Effective moderation plays a crucial role in shaping the quality and outcome of online discourse. The New York Times, Reddit, and Wikipedia are examples of platforms that have harnessed the power of moderators to foster nuanced and thoughtful discussions. Conversely, the absence of proper moderation can lead to extremism, which in turn contributes to pluralistic ignorance and false polarization. Pluralistic ignorance occurs when individuals publicly endorse extreme views while privately holding more moderate beliefs. False polarization, on the other hand, arises when we misrepresent the views and feelings of opposing groups based on the actions of their most extreme members. Proper moderation can help mitigate these issues by promoting accurate and balanced discussions.
Outgroup animosity fuels social media engagement: Posts with negative references to political outgroups are 67% more likely to be shared on social media
Outgroup animosity, or negativity towards those who belong to a different group, drives engagement on social media. A study led by Steve Rathge analyzed millions of posts from Facebook and Twitter, and found that each term referring to the political outgroup increased the odds of a post being shared by 67%. This effect was even more significant than pluralistic ignorance and false polarization. Political leaders, in particular, benefit from sharing negative content about their opponents, as it generates the most engagement. This incentivizes them to continue sharing such content, creating a cycle of animosity and engagement.
Being specific with AI and understanding human tendencies: Specify instructions for effective AI use, and recognize the human desire to belong and experience Schadenfreude for increased engagement and emotional reactions.
Specificity is key when working with AI. The more detailed and clear you are with your instructions, the more effective the AI will be. This applies to various aspects of life, including creating content or financial planning. Another interesting insight from the discussion is the human tendency to form strong team identities and root against opponents. This phenomenon, often seen in sports, is driven by the desire to belong and the excitement of seeing the opposing team suffer or fail. This dynamic, known as Schadenfreude, can lead to increased engagement and strong emotional reactions. In summary, being specific with AI and understanding the human tendency towards team identity and Schadenfreude can provide valuable insights and enhance various aspects of life, from content creation to financial planning and sports fandom.
Using moral emotional language online can increase engagement and sharing: Using words with moral and emotional connotations can boost online message reach by up to 20%
Using moral emotional language in online messages can significantly increase engagement and sharing, particularly in political contexts. Moral emotional language refers to words and phrases that evoke strong feelings and have a moral connotation, such as outrage, contempt, love, and justice. These words often have a higher arousal level than non-moral, non-emotional language. Studies have shown that using moral emotional language in messages online can increase their likelihood of being shared by up to 20%. This effect can occur regardless of whether the words are positive or negative. However, the use of moral emotional language can also signal to others that the person using it is more identified with their group and less open to engaging with those who hold opposing views. As a result, the use of moral emotional language can contribute to polarization and the spread of echo chambers online.
Online language can create an echo chamber effect: Using negative, extreme moral emotional language online can reinforce beliefs among like-minded individuals and alienate those with different perspectives, leading to less engagement and sharing.
The use of negative, extreme moral emotional language online can create an echo chamber effect, making users believe their ideas are more popular than they actually are. This language not only reinforces beliefs among like-minded individuals but also alienates those with different perspectives, leading to less engagement and sharing. These rules, driven by both human psychology and corporate decisions, can create a distorted view of reality and impact our understanding of popular opinion. It's essential to be aware of this phenomenon and strive for inclusive, respectful, and thoughtful communication online.
Exploiting Human Nature on Social Media: Social media unintentionally uses negativity, extremism, outgroup dynamics, and social status to keep users engaged, but it's important to remember the internet's positive aspects and find a balance.
Social media companies unintentionally exploit human nature to keep users engaged for as long as possible. This includes the unintentional exploitation of negativity, extremism, outgroup dynamics, and the need for social status. However, it's essential to note that these phenomena were also present in traditional media, but the conversation is more interesting in the digital age. Additionally, it's important to remember that the internet has many positive aspects, including the ability to connect people from all over the world and facilitate meaningful conversations. The key is to find a balance between the benefits and the challenges of social media. Furthermore, understanding the motivations behind user behavior and changing the incentives can help mitigate the negative effects. Ultimately, it's a complex issue that requires a nuanced approach.
Leveraging Group Psychology in the Digital Age: The Internet allows us to connect with like-minded individuals and foster collective action, but it's crucial to use this power responsibly and positively to build stronger communities and combat loneliness.
The ability to understand and connect with other people through group psychology has been crucial for human civilization, and while social media and the Internet have their downsides, they also offer significant benefits in terms of spreading information, connecting people, and fostering collective action, particularly in underdeveloped democracies and autocracies. The speaker, who has studied group psychology extensively, emphasizes the importance of leveraging this inherent human trait in healthier ways, allowing individuals to feel connected and less lonely while accomplishing more. The Internet, in essence, is a powerful tool for helping people find and coordinate with like-minded individuals, which can be beneficial or detrimental depending on the nature of the group.
