The Economics of Digital Behavior

After years of analyzing the behavior of individuals in digital media, from an empirical and scientific perspective, I have begun to notice patterns that do not seem rational, as seen from the outside.

Traditional economic models have treated people as either purely rational actors, who have complete self-control and never lose sight of their long-term goals, or as people who sometimes make random mistakes that cancel out in the long run.

If so, why would someone post on social networks that they committed a crime, or why post that he’s at the beach when he didn’t ask permission from his boss to go on vacation? Social networks create the illusion that we are seen only by those who want to see us. We use digital media as if we were actors in our own play, without caring about an audience judging our performance.

When we think about the ramifications and look beyond the fourth wall, and follow the theatrical analogy, we realize that when it comes to posting on social networks, the principle of “less is more” applies. Remember when he started hearing that immigration agents in the US could ask us for our cell phone to check our social networks and verify that we didn’t attack Trump?

This is explained by the so-called “behavioral economics”. that in its version of digital listening, it attempts to explain by observing what is published in digital media the phenomena in which users behave in one way, while it would be clear that it would be appropriate for them to act differently; Even on many occasions, from a conscious point of view.

The digital behavior economy considers connected users to be subject to emotions and impulsivity, which result from situations created by other users in their environment and have the ability to influence their behavior, to the extent that it leads them to make decisions that are rational and correct, at best, or irrational and incorrect, at worst .

It is no secret that individuals act out of our fears and doubts. The most powerful incentive to mobilize digital public opinion is the fear of losing the current situation And doubt is the void created by fear, from doubt, doubt must be filled with certainty. So here we are, users, trying to give certainty to our present, from experience, with no greater evidence than the rules of Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.