How to Be Popular: Wicked Edition

Social media is all about being popular, right? 🪄

When you see viral content with lots of likes and shares, it’s easier to believe it is true (1,2, 3), especially if the post has been shared by people in your network or sources you trust (4,5,6,7). But just because something is popular doesn’t mean it’s accurate!

Algorithms are complicated and differ between platforms, so it’s hard to know why certain posts become popular while others don’t. However, social media platforms tend to prioritize posts with greater engagement (2,7), and information that is controversial or upsetting – such as misinformation that makes dramatic claims – is more likely to get clicks, shares, and comments (1,2,7,8). In contrast, studies have shown that posts on social media with lots of high-quality evidence about health topics often perform worse than posts with less reliable information (9,10,11), perhaps because the evidence is less engaging than bold, uncited claims.

Next time a popular post comes across your feed, take a moment to think about how and why it got there. Kittens playing the piano? 🎹🐈 Awesome! Dramatic claims about your health or global events? Take some time to verify the information before you boost it.