Plain English with Derek Thompson A Psychologist Explains Four Reasons the Internet Feels So Broken
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Apr 9, 2024 Jay Van Bavel, a psychology and neural science professor at NYU, unpacks the mechanics behind our online interactions. He reveals the 'dark laws' that fuel negativity and extremism in digital spaces, shedding light on why we often see the worst in ourselves online. Exploring the allure of rivalry, he explains how schadenfreude shapes fans’ emotional responses. Van Bavel emphasizes the role of group dynamics and the media's bias, illustrating how these elements impact our perceptions and relationships in today's polarized environment.
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Negativity Bias in News
- Negativity bias explains the news' focus on bad news, not just journalists' choices.
- Our brains, wired to detect threats, make us more likely to click negative headlines.
Upworthy's A/B Testing
- Upworthy, a website known for viral content, used A/B testing to optimize headlines.
- Their data revealed that negative headlines consistently outperformed positive ones.
Extremism Online vs. Reality
- Online discussions appear more extreme than real-life interactions because a small percentage of extreme users dominate the conversation.
- Algorithms often amplify extreme content by prioritizing comments and engagement.