Social media fuels circulation of positive news

Rappler.com

This is AI generated summarization, which may have errors. For context, always refer to the full article.

Graphic by Rappler.com


A study hints that the more people share information online, the more upbeat stories get. Researchers say people want to create positive images of themselves by sharing positive stories on social media. This is turn fuels the prevalence of inspiring news stories to attract an audience. A TIME report says the success of sites like Buzzfeed and Upworthy shows visitors want positivity. On both websites, some of the most viral items include inspiring stories, like Buzzfeed’s photo compilation “21 pictures that will restore your faith in humanity.” A study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology shows visitors who “up vote” a story by liking it gets more up votes, but down votes did not do the same. Researchers say people don’t want to support the trolls and negative commenters. Another study shows articles that draw emotions get more shares on social media.


Read more on TIME Ideas.

Add a comment

Sort by

There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.

Summarize this article with AI

How does this make you feel?

Loading
Download the Rappler App!