A new study shows what many have long assumed: emotions expressed online can be contagious. Researchers at the University of California, San Diego, Yale University, and Facebook Inc used an automated text-analysis system to scan a billion messages from over 100 million people, and found that Facebook posts were likely to affect the mood of others online. Moreover, upbeat posts were far more likely to have an effect than negatives posts.
One of their significant findings was the influence of the weather on mood, and how it could spread amongst users. A rainy day caused the number of negative posts to rise 1.16%, while the number of positive posts fell 1.19%. A subtle change, yet it was compounded among these users' friends in other cities. In a city where it was not raining, each additional positive post resulted in a further 1.75 positive posts among friends, while each negative post resulted in a further 1.29 negative posts.
Facebook currently has 1.2 billion (with a B) active users. If posting messages about the weather alone can cause mood shifts among some users, posting emotional messages about more volatile subjects could have an emotional chain reaction. Recessions, stock market downswings, and economic difficulties could have negative emotional effects on people who are otherwise indifferent to the event. Likewise positive events could be used to influence people who may otherwise be apathetic.
So how do we use this information to our advantage? The simple answer would be post happy things on Facebook. The more complex answer would be to tie more uplifting messages to days when negative posts are trending, so the uplifting messages stand out and foster positive brand association. Obviously rainy days would be a good time to do this, but looking beyond that we can see that there are several other negative days in the year such as April 15th (aka tax day) or even Mondays.
What you post is ultimately up to you, but realize the impact you could be having on other peoples' emotions.
This is a really interesting viewpoint I never really took into consideration. Being that we are constantly tuned into social media on a daily basis, it is inevitable that what we are constantly exposed to and reading would play a role in our moods throughout the day. I know when I am viewing statuses that are uplifting or encouraging, it can really change my perspective on the day to follow. Similarly, when people are posting negative viewpoints or hostile opinions, it can truly effect our moods, even without us being aware of it. Great post!
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