Catching fire: What goes viral and why? With Jonah Berger, PhD

The podcast explores the psychology behind why people share certain content, challenging the notion that virality is solely due to chance. Dr. Jonah Berger, a word-of-mouth and social influence researcher, introduces the STEPS framework, highlighting six key factors driving sharing: social currency, triggers, emotion, public visibility, practical value, and stories. Social currency, the desire to appear knowledgeable or "in the know," is a powerful motivator, as illustrated by the story of the exclusive bar "Please Don't Tell." While positive emotions generally encourage sharing, high-arousal emotions like anger or awe can also be strong drivers. The discussion also addresses how to combat misinformation by making valuable information more digestible and shareable.