Does Social Media make you Click ?

Does Social Media make you Click ?

Social media fosters an environment in which viewers can click (identify and engage) with other viewers who then shape our thinking, behavior, emotions and actions. Authors Rom and Ori Brafman study the science of click in their book, Click: The Magic of Instant Connections. They identify five “accelerators” that increase the likelihood of these kinds of magic connections in our relationships. These are: vulnerability, proximity, resonance, similarity and environment. The authors claim that these factors show up time and again across different contexts. For the purpose of this article, I will explore the context of online viewers to viewers relationships.

Vulnerability: The anonymity offered by the Internet through constructs such as avatars, private messaging and nameless email addresses, allows us to more easily open up. We pass through the intimacy barrier and communicate on a deeper level about ourselves. This in turn increases the online viewers community’s perception of our trustworthiness.

Proximity: The closer the physical proximity, the emotionally closer people are likely to become. However, the digital connectivity through online viewers communities does create very powerful connections. Time and again, viewers who have never met me do amazing things for me. And I have done amazing things to help online viewers, often never knowing their faces or their real names. Exceptional compassion and loyalty mark these relationships.

Resonance: Viewers who interact online tend to match the emotional expression of the community. They tend to face the same set of challenges and successes concerning the emotions surrounding them.

Similarity: Viewers affect and appeal to each other in a very personal and emotional way, which anyone outside the community—including their caregivers and healthcare professionals—simply cannot. There is an “us” and “them” mentality.

Environment: An online community is so much more than a website with good content and graphics. It is viewers’ shared experiences that create the sense of community. Community is a source of similarity.