The Virality of Social Distancing
Two epidemics have engulfed America over the past few weeks. The first is the COVID-19 Coronavirus. The second is society’s response to it, represented by norms and memes around social distancing.
In epidemiology, something called a “viral coefficient” or “k-factor” is used to measure the rate at which something goes viral within an ecosystem. It is tracked by measuring how many new people are infected by each existing carrier.
In America the crisis seems to come down to one simple question…has the k-factor of social distancing surpassed the k-factor of Coronavirus quickly enough to prevent a catastrophe? In other words, can norms and memes around how we must respond to this virus spread more quickly than the virus itself?
This is certainly the first pandemic for which a question like this can even be asked.
Like many people, I spent the first two months of 2020 with cynical doubt about Coronavirus. Fed up with sensationalized news, I wrote it all off as an overblown media frenzy. In the age of digital media, headlines are so intentionally crafted to pull on emotional triggers, that it’s difficult to really know what’s significant anymore.
With such little faith in the legitimacy of our modern day media, what is it that triggered my shift from skeptic to believer?
What is it that triggered this shift in others like me?
What is it that may have triggered this shift in you?
A “meme” in its traditional sense is not just an image or a piece of text, but is more generally a cultural norm that is passed from one person to another. The meme of social distancing did not spread through the news, but through our social networks (online and offline alike). Influencers within these networks have played an essential role in dispersing this meme throughout their communities. They have catalyzed its spread, driving the k-factor up. Many of the same influencers who have built careers for themselves by cultivating audiences for whom to sell products, may just be the saviors of our society today.
Without them, would it have been possible for this meme to spread so quickly?
I listen to a ton of podcasts and there are several podcast creators whom I deeply respect. It was not until learning about social distancing from these influencers that I bought into the social distancing meme.
I have many friends who feel similar respect toward influencers on platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. It wasn’t until learning about social distancing from these influencers that they began to develop a sense of obligation and accountability.
It’s extremely difficult to change the behavior of a single person, let alone an entire society. According to Opposing Forces Theory, there are two forces at play in every behavior.
- Promoting Pressures (reasons to do something)
- Inhibiting Pressures (reasons not to do something)
Behaviors are changed when the promoting pressures of change outweigh the inhibiting pressures of change.
The social distancing meme has spread so quickly throughout our communities because both promotional and inhibiting pressures are affected by it. We’re motivated to protect ourselves from the virus (a promotional pressure to social distancing). We’re also less inclined toward our natural tendency to seek human interaction (which would be an inhibiting pressure to social distancing). This is because new norms have developed to shame human interaction for the purposes of “flattening the curve” and saving at-risk lives.
In this time of social distancing, we’ve never been so closely knit. Our strong social networks are bound by influencers, serving as credible messengers of information and cultural norms. The promotional and inhibiting pressures for change seem to be balanced toward the critical change we need.
Alas the question remains…has the k-factor of social distancing surpassed the k-factor of Coronavirus quickly enough to avoid a catastrophe ?
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