Where We Go Next 111: The Hidden Forces Driving Our Online Behavior, with Steve Rathje
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Jul 23, 2024 Steve Rathje, a postdoctoral researcher at NYU specializing in social psychology and technology, discusses the interplay of social media and polarization. He reveals how negative online interactions boost engagement and explores the fluidity of group identities. The conversation dives into conformity's power, highlighting its effects on individual behavior. Rathje also addresses the pitfalls of short-form content in psychology education and the challenges of misinformation, emphasizing the importance of media literacy in today's complex digital landscape.
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Outgroup Content Drives Virality
- Social media rewards posts about political out-groups far more than in-groups, driving virality for negative content.
- Each additional out-group word increased shares by ~70%, a stronger effect than moral or emotional language.
Group Identities Are Contextual
- Social identities are situational and can be activated or deactivated by context, including social media cues.
- Activating a shared identity (e.g., 'American') can reduce intergroup hostility and polarization.
Use Shared Identity To Reduce Polarization
- Emphasize shared identity and correct misperceptions to reduce polarization in interventions.
- The Heineken 'Worlds Apart' style and identity-based messaging were top performers in a large intervention study.