According to a study, people spend, on average, around 135 minutes a day on social media. In these two hours or so, we mostly like, comment, and share our favorite posts, pages, and profiles.
But why do we so do?
Believe it or not, there’s an entire study of psychology that can be done on this question alone. There are also two elements in our biology that strengthen the desire to like, comment, and share. Namely, dopamine and oxytocin, also known as the desire to want and the cuddle chemical, respectively.
The answer to this question can’t be found by browsing Instagram hashtags or such, even though they help us grow on social media and, therefore, trigger the cuddle chemical we mentioned.
Therefore, let’s see exactly why we like, comment, and share online!
Why do We Like Online?
On Facebook, since the implementation of the notorious Like button, the latter has been used more than 1.13 trillion times so far. This number is constantly changing, as the platform has more than 2 billion monthly active users that like posts every single day.
So, why do we like? Well, we do so mainly because we want to maintain relationships. At the moment we like each other’s posts, we reinforce the closeness implied by a relationship, as well as add value to it.
Moreover, we create a reciprocity effect as well. In most cases, when we receive a like, we feel like we should give back one as well. Therefore, we even up the scales and give back to others as much as they give to us.
For example, if a famous photographer likes one of your Instagram posts, you will most likely want to like one of his/ her photos as well.
Why do We Comment Online?
Comments are made to process information. Whether you’re a business owner or a simple user of a particular social media platform, one single comment can make you change your perspective on a specific topic.
In short, when you see a post and make a comment, you process the information given by that post, as well as the information other comments give to you.
Moreover, keep in mind that your comment is public. Therefore, you share your opinion with the rest of the world, be it positive or negative, and say what you have to say about a specific brand.
In the case of a brand, comments made on your posts are seen as a reflection of your brand. This can either build or shatter the trust your audience has in you and, thus, you feel obliged to come up with honest, exciting content, as well as with high-quality products/ services.
Why do We Share Online?
In terms of sharing, we can rely on a study to give us precisely the answers we want. The results say that people share online because they want to reflect their online identity, to better the lives of others, to spread the word about topics, to grow and nourish relationships, and to enjoy the feeling of having other engage.
In short, we share online because we want to connect with the rest of the world and give them a perception of how we are as human beings. This is made via the type of content we share – without forgetting that the people we share content to are an essential part of the equation as well.
After all, they do say that sharing is caring. Therefore, when we share something, we care about the content, as well as about the ones we are sharing it with.
The Bottom Line
As you have seen, liking, commenting, and sharing are not actions that we feel obliged to do on social media – as in, it is not the platform that makes us do these actions. We decide that a particular post has to be shared, commented on, or shared with other people.
Naturally, it all boils down to interacting with other people, with brands, and so on. By extension, these social media actions reflect ones that we would do in the real world. Social media is just a simple extension of the world we live in.
Also, remember that, if you are looking for ways to be more active and engaging in social media, especially on Instagram, then we recommend you try an Instagram bot, as such software can help you grow on these platforms and receive more interaction with your audience as well.