A Moment of Connection
Imagine scrolling through your Instagram feed after a long day. You pause at a friend’s post, feeling a sense of warmth as you see their smiling face on a beach. You quickly tap the heart icon, hoping to convey your support and connection. As you do, you can’t help but check how many likes it has received. That number seems to matter, both to your friend and to you.
The Mechanism of Social Validation
This behavior is driven by the psychological mechanism known as social validation, which originally existed to help humans gauge their standing within a group. In our ancestral environment, receiving approval from others could mean survival, fostering relationships, and enhancing social bonds.
However, modern platforms like Instagram twist this mechanism. The algorithm rewards posts with high engagement, promoting content that garners attention while suppressing the less popular. This creates a feedback loop where the value of social validation is amplified, making likes feel more critical than they inherently are.
Consider a scenario where a user shares a heartfelt story about a personal struggle. While the intention is to connect, they might feel disheartened if the post receives fewer likes than expected. This can lead to feelings of inadequacy, despite the emotional authenticity of their message.
Engagement metrics distort our sense of worth, making it feel like our value hinges on algorithmic approval.
Understanding Predictable Behavior
This is why our desire for engagement is predictable; it stems from a blend of human social wiring and algorithmic incentives that prioritize popularity over genuine connection.