
Connection is Key: Homophily and Social Media
What Motivates Us to Branch Out
Staying connected on social media gives people an outlet to experience what is going on in the world. Users have the opportunity to navigate a virtual world that gives them a voice. They also want to be part of something that gives them relevant information, but allows them to engage with others (Reidl, Köbler, Goswami and Krcmar, 2013). Social media affords people opportunities to gain feedback on information they deem important. This type of positive response and the need to belong are what make social media outlets desirable (Wohn, Carr and Hayes, 2016).
Likes Connect Us
Homophily is simply defined as people connecting with other people based on similarities, like age (Thelwall, 2009). Social media platforms allow this phenomenon to take many forms. Groups and pages on Facebook are developed just for this purpose. Specifically, users are more likely to engage with others when the information they see is familiar or relevant to what they are searching for (Kim, Wang and Oh, 2016). This causes them to also share this information with online because of how the information makes them feel. They might feel triggered or even inspired, which in turn compels them to connect with the person who shared the information (Bouman, 2016). The cycle of social media homophily seems to be one of reciprocity, where everyone stays connected on the sole basis of sharing continuous information. This works out because it is beneficial for everyone.
Homophily and Social Media Algorithms
The need to connect drives a person to purchase faster means of connection. This method also ensures they will get the greatest following to share their interests with. There is a frenzy to get information out amongst viewers that will respond by liking, commenting, and sharing the information. Search engines provide valuable insight to what readers want to see and respond to. The data along with providing exclusive information in an inclusive format (like a blog site) and encouraging subscription through reminders gives the publisher a wider audience. The readers will be sharing the information with people they know, which will compel those additional users to subscribe (Peters, 2017). Homophily is the foundation of social media. Understanding how it works and using that advantageously will continue to shape the fluidity of social media in the coming years.
References
Bouman, J. (2016). The Psychology of How and Why We Share. EveryoneSocial. Retrieved 28 July 2017, from https://everyonesocial.com/blog/the-psychology-of-how-and-why-we-share/
Kim, Y., Wang, Y., & Oh, J. (2016). Digital media use and social engagement: How social media and smartphone use influence social activities of college students. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 19(4), 264–269.
Peters, B., & Stelzner, M. (2017). Social Media Algorithms: How They Work and How to Use Them in Your Favor — Michael Stelzner [Podcast]. business2community.com. Retrieved 28 July 2017, from http://www.business2community.com/brandviews/buffer/social-media-algorithms-work-use-favor-michael-stelzner-podcast-01788305#xX43hbamja6D4Q1S.97
Riedl, C., Köbler, F., Goswami, S., & Krcmar, H. (2013). Tweeting to Feel Connected: A Model for Social Connectedness in Online Social Networks. International Journal Of Human-Computer Interaction, 29(10), 670–687. doi:10.1080/10447318.2013.768137
Thelwall, M. (2009). Homophily in myspace. Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology, 60(2), 219–231.
Wohn, D. Y., Carr, C. T., & Hayes, R. A. (2016). How affective is a “like”?: The effect of paralinguistic digital affordances on perceived social support. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 19(9), 562–566.