NY Times, Sunday, June 16, 2013: Facebook Made Me Do It (Excerpts)
…That feedback loop of positive reinforcement is the most addictive element of social media. All those retweets, likes and favorites give us a little jolt, a little boost that pushes us to keep coming back for more. It works whether or not we post the typical social media fodder of lush vacation pictures and engagement announcements or venture into realms that showcase our most daredevilish antics and risqué behavior.
…Our growing collective compulsion to document our lives and share them online, combined with the instant gratification that comes from seeing something you are doing or experiencing get near-immediate approval from your online peers, could be giving us more reason to act out online, for better or for worse.
…We are, in other words, one another’s virtual enablers.
…the vast amplification of the potential audience a single person can reach has raised the stakes for all online activity.
…“It’s performative.”