How Ideas Become Contagious Online
Hivemind author Sarah Rose Cavanagh argues that humans swarm in sync and change course en masse
Sarah Rose Cavanagh doesn’t see the impact of social media as all good or all bad — instead, the psychologist calls herself a “techno-pragmatist.” In her new book Hivemind: The New Science of Tribalism in Our Divided World, Cavanagh looks at the way humans behave as a “hive” — specifically, how we influence each other to reach common goals. She draws from psychology, philosophy, and neuroscience, all in an effort to understand how our hive operates in real and virtual worlds.
Cavanagh argues that, like bees, humans swarm in sync and change course en masse. She points to the legalization of marijuana, or support for gay marriage, as examples of those tipping points. Public support was “slowly building, but then seemed to, all of a sudden, flip,” she tells OneZero. “It’s about having enough of the hive take a stance.” In Hivemind, Cavanagh explores how public sentiment shifts, and eventually transforms into action.
Cavanagh currently works as an emotion regulation researcher at Assumption College in central Massachusetts, where she explores how managing emotions in the classroom affects student performance. OneZero caught up with her to discuss the internet’s role in intensifying…
