Stop, Drop, and… Think
(non-copyedited version)
As social networks shift our perceptions of authority, we also have to guard against the pitfalls that can happen when large numbers of people have access to information without the context that they're used to. That context was provided by institutional authorities in the past, and now that organic authority plays more of a role in how we receive information, and how quickly we receive it, we have a new responsibility to ensure the accuracy of external events that we share.
Social networks can spread information like wildfire. Marketers know this, and some spend oodles of time and money trying to figure out how to make something "go viral."
News, on the other hand, doesn’t need a marketing genius. Regardless of whether the subject is celebrity gossip or the latest economic statistics, news headlines can reach viral proportions that would make any marketer proud. Never before have so many people had instantaneous access to so much unfiltered information. We’re quick to act on that information — and to share it with everyone we know.
While sharing news is generally a good thing (hey, you’re reading Share This!), we’re not necessarily equipped to process and react responsibly when we're hit with surprising or salacious news — or information that provokes a strong emotional response. We tend to share first and ask questions later, and, as we’ll see below, doing so can cause serious damage and distrust.
Part of this shortcoming is biological: the part of our brains that reacts to emotional content, the amygdala, isn't the most sophisticated piece of machinery. It interprets and paints events and emotions in broad strokes, most simply as positive or negative. Not a lot of nuance there.
The rest of our brain is supposed to help by engaging and filtering information based on context. We’re supposed to take into account physical actions, such as a person’s body language and the tone of conversation, as well as our surroundings. Digital media doesn't provide these cues, so the other parts of our brain aren't activated. In fact, research shows that email flaming (inappropriate negative reactions expressed publicly online) is a result of these missing cues[1].
It could be said, then, that without adequate understanding and even training around using social networks during times of crisis, we're doomed to a mob mentality. Holding back the mob can be the challenging side of sharing our stories, but we're not without hope, and we’ll talk later in this section about how to apply some common media literacy skills to our own networks.
[1] The absence of tone and body language seems to shunt slightly annoying words straight into our reptile brains and get us all upset right away. Fascinating read, check it out: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/20/health/psychology/20essa.html
[...] UPDATE: The relevant sections from the book are now up. Start with "Stop, Drop and … Think." [...]