The four dark laws of online engagement and the science of group psychology

Issue 120: The "devil's playbook" for dark behavior online

Each day, we scroll through roughly 300 feet of social media content—that is equivalent to the height of the Statue of Liberty! This constant engagement is not just habitual; it fundamentally alters our identities and realities. Social media holds a fun-house mirror up to society, distorting our perceptions of reality, and the incentives and engagement structures of social media put us in constant conflict with one another.

I was recently invited to discuss my research on the profound impacts of social media on our psychological makeup and social behaviors on the podcast “Plain English with Derek Thompson”. He distilled my research into a "devil's playbook" of online engagement and we discussed four dark laws on online engagement that are shaping our social relationships.

The fundamental aspects of group psychology—our ability to join and identify with groups—is among the most unique human traits. Indeed, we are the only primate who will engage with prosocial behavior with in-group mem…