An Ostrich of the Same Flock: Why We Like People Like Us

T. Williams
Sep 3, 2018 · 3 min read

The Need to Belong

Since its inception, social media has had a powerful effect on the way people see the world and themselves. It is not uncommon for individuals to measure their self-worth by how many “likes” they may get or followers that they may have. Why is the desire to make a connection on social media so strong? Psychologically speaking, there may be a few reasons. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs talks about the basic and meta-needs that one must meet in order to reach their fullest potential (Coon & Mitterer, 2016). The need to belong and self-worth are just a few of the requirements to reach a level of self-actualization (Coon & Mitterer). Aristotle said that “people love those who are like themselves” (McPherson, 2001, p. 416). Finding a group of individuals that are liked minded with similar interest can make an individual feel as if they belong. It can also validate a person and consequentially raise their self-esteem. Another reason that a social media connection is so coveted is because of the social capital it affords (McMahon, 2015). Social capital is benefits one gets from being part of a social group (McMahon, 2015). This can be seen in the feeling of belonging and self-worth, as stated above.

Just Like Me

Great minds think alike. Birds of a feather flock together. Like two peas in a pod. What do all these phrases have in common? They relate to a concept known as homophily. The theory of homophily is the belief that we are attracted or drawn to individuals who are like ourselves (McPherson, 2001). This homophily can take two forms. There is status homophily, which focuses on the connection that is made by informal, formal or ascribed status (McPherson, 2001). This can be seen by people of the same race, gender, social economic class, etcetera being drawn to one another. Then there is value homophily, which happens when individuals share beliefs, attitudes and values (McPherson, 2001). Examples of this would be individuals with same religious beliefs, political stances, or even people who are fans of the same sports team. When taken in context of social media, it is fair to say that homophily is alive and well. Studies show that an interaction is more likely to happen between similar people than dissimilar people (McPherson, 2001). This can be seen in the Instagram pictures we like, the Twitter post we retweet, or the Facebook status updates that we comment on. Those who voice similar ideas, beliefs, goals, aspirations, or even trials and tribulations are more likely to garner our attention.

Method to the Madness

Have you ever been perusing for something on a social media site, and then similar news stories or ads show up elsewhere? That can be attributed to that platforms algorithm. These algorithms track what you like and do not like in an effort to show information that would be relevant to you. Facebook, for instance, uses algorithms that measure very specific things. To start, the algorithm detects how often an individual interacts with a post (Agrawal, 2016). Next, it looks at how often people hide a particular post (Agrawal, 2016). It also looks at how much activity a page or post is receiving (Agrawal, 2016). Lastly, it gauges how well a post is performing in regard to people who have already viewed it (Agrawal, 2016). These things culminate in a social media experience that is specifically tailored to each individual user. It will only show users information that is deemed relevant to them (Agrawal, 2016). Sites like Instagram and Twitter also favor relevance over chronology (Agrawal, 2016), showing the “important” things first.

References

Agrawal, A. (2016, April 20). What Do Social Media Algorithms Mean For You? Retrieved from Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/ajagrawal/2016/04/20/what-do-social-media-algorithms-mean-for-you/#3770c54da515

Coon, D., & Mitterer, J. O. (2016). Introduction to Psychology: GATEWAYS TO MIND AND BEHAVIOR (14th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.

McMahon, C. (2015). Why do we ‘like’ social media? 28, 724–729. Retrieved from https://thepsychologist.bps.org.uk/volume-28/september-2015/why-do-we-social-media

McPherson, M., Smith-Lovin, L., & Cook, J. M. (2001). BIRDS OF A FEATHER: Homophily in Social Media Networks. Annual Review of Sociology, 27, 415–444.

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