We are What we Believe: Storytelling on Social Media has the Power to Enrapture, Enrage.
Department of Scandinavian professor Timothy Tangherlini alleges that belief landscapes are “easy” to fall into when it seems like a community of people hold the same beliefs and values.
Subramaniam Vincent, the director of journalism and media ethics at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University, also noted that people who feel isolated or excluded may be more inclined to join online communities, and vulnerable to conspiracies.
Vincent noted that the design of social media platforms, which allow for quick, low-investment responses, gauge interaction in a “blank emotional space” and play a key role in the amplification of content. Facebook allows users to react with just an emoji, and a simple repost is common across nearly all platforms.
When people are able to rapidly react with their feelings, their ability to self regulate lessens, Vincent noted. Thus, more inflammatory content garners more reactions leading to more clicks.
Subramaniam Vincent, director of journalism and media ethics, quoted by The Daily Californian.