NY Times Study: The Psychology of Sharing, Why do People Share Online
This NY Times study “The Psychology of Sharing, Why do People Share Online,” was published in 2011. It was online through 2016.
Websites and blogs still cite this publication as a reference for why people share online. Broken are hundreds of links to the report. The report’s website was taken down in 2016. Hence it created an undesirable impact on the SEO and credibility of the websites that link to the page.
We set up this page as a backstop until there is a new study on “Why people share online.”
Therefore, feel free to link to the page as a reference.
The Psychology of Sharing, Why do People Share Online
The Psychology of Sharing: Why do People Share Online?
The Psychology of sharing: What is this study about? A first-of-its-kind inquiry into the motivations behind why we share. Understanding the motivational forces behind the act of sharing will help marketers get their content shared.
Why do consumers share content online?
Overview: 1) Methodology, 2) Motivations for Sharing, 3) Online Sharing Personas, 4) Key Guidelines for Getting Shared, 5) Consumer Categories
We worked with Latitude Research to conduct a three-phase study to understand by people share content online.
Methodology – Phase 1) Ethnographies: In-person interviews in New York, Chicago and San Francisco
Methodology – Phase 3) Quantitative Survey a) Survey of 2,500 medium/heavy online sharers, b) conducted segmentation to identify main types of sharers
Sharing content is not new.
“In the past, people shared at lunch with their girlfriends when they saw someone with something cool. We still share things when it’s relevant… we just share more and online.” – Ethnography participant, Female
Sharing is not new, it’s human nature: Self-actualization, Esteem, Love / Belonging, Safety, Physiological
What’s changed? We now live in the Information Age. We share MORE content, From MORE sources, With MORE people, MORE often, MORE quickly
“I have a hard time imagining how much more to-the-minute information can become. With twitter, instant FB updates, email updates, what would have been considered fast even five years ago is obsolete.” – Deprivation participant, female
From Broadcasters to Sharecasters: Mashing up, Receiving, Combining, Redistributing, Creating and Recreating
Sharing acts as “information management” a) 85% say reading other peoples responses helps them understand and process information and events. b) 73% say they process information more deeply, thoroughly and thoughtfully when they share it. “Sharing information helps me do my job. I remember products and information sources better when I share them and am more likely to use them.” – Deprivation participant, male
Motivations for sharing
To bring valuable and entertaining content to others: a) 94% carefully consider how the information they share will be useful to the recipient. b) 49% say sharing allows them to inform others of the products they care about and potentially change opinions or encourage action. “[I share] to enrich the lives of those around me.” – Immersion participant, female
To define ourselves to others: 68% share to give people a better sense of who they are and what they care about. “I try to share only information that will reinforce the image I’d like to present: thoughtful, reasoned, kind, interested and passionate about certain things.” – Deprivation participant, male
To grow and nourish our relationships: a) 78% share information online because it lets them stay connected to people they may not otherwise stay in touch with. 73% share information because it helps them connect with others who share their interests. “I miss the companionship and conversations on Facebook. I feel like I’m probably missing out on some things without the connection.” – Deprivation participant, male
Self-fulfillment: a) 69% share information because it allows them to feel more involved in the world, b) I enjoy getting comments that I sent great information and that my friends will forward it to thier friends becuase it’s so helpful. It makes me feel valuable.” Ethnography participant, female
To get the word out about causes or brands: 84% share because it is a way to support causes or issues they care about. “I forwarded an article about Proposition B to everyone in my union. I wanted them to learn about the issue and rally against it. – Ethnography participant, male
Sharing is all about relationships: 1) To bring valuable and entertaining content to others, 2) To define ourselves to others, 3) To grow and nourish our relationships, 4) Self-fulfillment, 5) To get the word out about causes or brands
6 Personas of Sharers
Six personas of online sharers: 1) Altruists, 2) Careerists, 3) Hipsters, 4) Boomerangs, 5) Connectors, 6) Selectives. Segments are defined by: a) Emotional motivations, b) Desired presentation of self, c) Role of sharing in life, d) Value of being first to share
Altruists: “I sent a couple of articles on nutrition an wellness to a friend with health issues. She e-mailed me to thank me; she appreciated that I had been thinking about her.” – Ethnography participant, female
Hipsters: Less likely to e-mail, Cutting Edge, Creative, Identity, Young Popular
Boomerangs: “When I post controversial things, it makes me look engaged and provocative, and I want to be perceived that way. If I don’t get a response then I know I’ve missed my mark.” – Ethnography participant, male
Careerists: “[I share things related to] business interests and exchange ideas on how to improve our company’s offerings to our customers.” – Immersion participant, male
Connectors: Creative, Relaxed, Thoughtful, Making Plans, E-mail, Facebook
Connectors: “I got a deal to the bar at the Gansevoort Hotel e-mailed to me. I forwarded it to a bunch of friends and we turned it into a girls night out.” – Ethnography participant, female
Selectives: ” I only share things with someone specific if I think they will enjoy it. If they aren’t relevant to the material, there is no point in sharing it with them.” – Immersion participant, male
Key Guidelines For Getting Content Shared
Key factors to influence sharing: 1) Appeal to consumers’ motivation to connect with each other – not just with your brand
Key factors to influence sharing: 2) Trust is the cost of entry for getting shared
Key factors to influence sharing: 3) Keep it simple…and it will get shared…and it won’t get muddled
Key factors to influence sharing: 4) Appeal to their sense of humor
Key factors to influence sharing: 5) Embrace a sense of urgency
Key factors to influence sharing: 6) Getting your content shared is just the beginning. a) Get shared, Get shared again, Listen, Get credit for responding, Respond
Key factors to influence sharing: 7) E-mail is still #1
Nsikan Akpan the digital science producer at PBS did a great job reporting on the nature magazine publication on why people cannot stop sharing the fake news. The study found that when news feeds are overflowing, people have a difficult time discriminating between fact-based stories and fake news on social media. The problem stems from how social media platforms work, and may also explain the popularity bias in modern journalism.
Published On December 2011 in Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking Vol. 14, No. 12
The study explores whether the use of Social Networking Sites (SNSs) elicits a specific psychophysiological pattern. It also records specific positive and negative effects using SNS has on individuals. What aspects of the social networking experience make SNSs so successful? Hence, the increasing use of SNSs shows that people use SNS because they have a positive experience when they use them.
About the Authors:
Maurizio Mauri – Institute of Human, Language and Environmental Sciences, IULM University, Milan, Italy. Brain and Cognitive Sciences Department, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Pietro Cipresso – Institute of Human, Language and Environmental Sciences, IULM University, Milan, Italy. Applied Technology for Neuro-Psychology Lab, Istituto Auxologico Italiano–IRCCS, Milano, Italy.
Anna Balgera – Institute of Human, Language and Environmental Sciences, IULM University, Milan, Italy.
Marco Villamira -Institute of Human, Language and Environmental Sciences, IULM University, Milan, Italy.
Giuseppe Riva – Applied Technology for Neuro-Psychology Lab, Istituto Auxologico Italiano–IRCCS, Milano, Italy. Dipartimento di Psicologia, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milano, Italy.
Published in the Atlantic in October 2014, is about two recent studies in Psychological Science. The results suggest: 1) that unusual experiences can have a social cost, in that they alienate us from our peers who did not share those experiences with us. 2) Sharing experiences—even with a complete stranger—makes people rate those experiences as more intense than people who underwent them alone.
About the Author: Olga Khazan is a staff writer at The Atlantic.
Published in October 2014 in the Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, Volume 10, Issue 6, 1 June 2015, Pages 801
While not about online sharing, this publication provides insight into the basic human motivation to share and affiliate with others in emotional situations. Researchers in Germany evaluated the effect of social sharing of emotions on subjective feelings and neural activity by having pairs of friends view emotional movies at a cinema either alone or with the friend. As a result, the study showed that people appreciate the company of others because their mere knowledge of the presence of a peer who shares the same emotional experience is subjectively rewarding.
About the Authors: Ullrich Wagner, Lisa Galli, Bjorn H. Schott, Andrew Wold, Job van der Schalk, Antony S. R. Manstead, Klaus Scherer, Henrik Walter
Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Division of Mind and Brain Research, 10117 Berlin, Germany, University of Münster, Department of Psychology, 48049 Münster, Germany, Berlin School of Mind and Brain, 10117 Berlin, Germany, Cardiff University, School of Psychology, Cardiff CF10 3AT, UK, and Swiss Center for Affective Sciences, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland
Published in the Harvard Business Review and covers the impact that Facebook can have on our self-esteem.
Written in 2017, the study and research show that the use of Facebook and social media may; detract from face-to-face relationships, reduce investment in meaningful activities, increase sedentary behavior by encouraging more screen time, lead to internet addiction, and erode self-esteem through unfavorable social comparison. Furthermore, the sheer quantity of social media interaction may detract from more meaningful real-life experiences. Consequently, the exposure to images and content from others’ lives leads to negative self-comparison.
About the Authors: Holly B. Shakya is an Assistant Professor of Global Public Health at UC San Diego. Nicholas A. Christakis is the Director of the Human Nature Lab at Yale University and Co-Director of the Yale Institute for Network Science.
This review was published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health and covers ‘addiction’ to social networks on the Internet and the potential mental health problems it can create.
Published in August 2011, this study covers the ‘addiction’ to social networks on the Internet and potential mental health problem for some users. The focus of the publication includes a study of six areas of human behavior on Social Networking Sites (SNSs). Areas of interest include: (1) outlining SNS usage patterns, (2) examining motivations for SNS usage, (3) examining personalities of SNS users, (4) examining negative consequences of SNS usage, (5) exploring potential SNS addiction, and (6) exploring SNS addiction specificity and comorbidity.
About the Authors: Daria J. Kuss and Mark D. Griffiths are from the International Gaming Research Unit, Psychology Division, Nottingham Trent University, NG1 4BU, UK
Citation: Kuss DJ, Griffiths MD. Online Social Networking and Addiction—A Review of the Psychological Literature. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2011
Finally, here is our own comprehensive list of why people share online.
Note that you may see some overlap and redundancy in this list.
Positive / selfless reasons why people share online
People share online to…
help someone
support a friend
make others feel better
stay in touch
show appreciation
show remorse
collaborate
make plans
connect with others
educate
make someone happy
entertain others
stay engaged
get more involved
give back
make others look good
inform others
show enthusiasm
promote a cause
be part of a community
participate
share ideas
build trust
make a statement
show the world who we are
let people know what we stand for
improve moods
Negative / selfish reasons why people share online
People share online to…
show dissatisfaction
go viral
get comments
get likes and emojis
make money
get others to like you
prove a point
force compliance
be seen as an expert
threaten
terrorize
bully
be funny
put people down
feel important
rant
lecture
be provocative
self-promote
be admired by others
grow a following
gain power
influence others
deceive
look good
be seen as cool
show how smart we are
spread lies
misinform
distract attention
deny wrongdoing
spread propaganda
Do you have more reasons why people share online? Please use the form below to add them to our “why do people share online” list? If you have an article or new study on the topic please use this form to share it and we will consider adding it to our list of relevant publications.
