Social Contagion: How Behaviors Spread Like Viruses Online
Social contagion—the rapid spread of behaviors, emotions, and beliefs through networks—shapes everything from viral memes to financial crashes. Powered by mirror neurons and turbocharged by algorithms, contagion can tip behaviors viral once critical thresholds are reached. While it enables positive cascades like public health campaigns spreading across communities, it also fuels misinformation, mass panic, and algorithmic radicalization. Understanding network science, developing resistance sk...
