Some science on why and what we share online…gotta tweet something:

“People’s brains appeared to be gauging the headlines and abstracts of each article to determine how sharing them might create positive personal and social outcomes for them. In other words, when a story more effectively tapped into people’s desire for others to see them favorably, and presented an opportunity to relate to others positively, they were more likely to share it — and possibly make it go viral.”

This makes sense but it’s so dumb. If you’re sharing for the sake of validation/free love then you’re building an echo chamber. It’s reducing social media to high school all over again…everybody wants to be cool and nobody wants to eat lunch alone.

I constantly share books and movies with friends but it has nothing to do with me…it makes their life better. It makes their work better. If you love somebody you naturally want better for them. They’re friends: I know you like me and enjoy my company…you probably respect my taste in what I recommend…so I’m not sharing out of insecurity or an attempt to put myself in a positive light. Love transcends fear.

Even at Girth Radio as a writer the movie trailers and such I choose to share/post on the website…I can’t tailor them the way I do for my friends because I have a good handle on what a friend will dig; online posts are going out to (online) strangers so it’s more of a crapshoot however that still has nothing to do with me.

My primary guiding force is answering: Is This Good? If the answer is no I don’t post it or share it on my social media. Popularity, validation/free love…these are not influential factors. Is This Good? I don’t even need to agree with something to post it. Online I am not defined by whoever you think I am.

Does that make sense?

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Follow Sammy Younan @ Girth Radio W • T • F

Ziggy Was Here January 8, 1947 – January 10, 2016

Also published on Medium.