Brendan Julian

Examining the Ethics of Virality and Developing a Technique to Promote Positivity

Social media platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter have connected the world in a way unlike anything before. Tweets and video links can be shared across the globe with a click of a button. Some go unnoticed, and some go viral. Virality is something that many social media users strive to achieve. Incredibly positive things have gone viral, such as raising money for a cause. On the contrary, negative viral trends exist as well, promoting hate and ultimately distorting the concept of virality. First, this project examines how something goes viral. Secondly, it looks at the ethics and state of virality and what it says about our society. This will be determined after closely analyzing past viral trends and using collected data to determine what emotions lead to a mass influx of sharing. Finally, a technique will be created to achieve virality, encouraging the world to continue to use social media to spread positivity and not negativity.