Network content

“The meaning of a sentence is derived from the original words by an active, interpretive process. The original sentence which is perceived is rapidly forgotten and the memory is then for the information (meaning) contained in the sentence.” ~ Jacqueline Sachs, 1967 

Apparently the effect of messages from our peers is greater than the content of the messages themselves. James Fowler at UCSD conducted a study to observe the influence of messages read on Facebook [ link ]. He found that messages from peers are more persuasive than purely informational messages. Thirty nine percent more recipients went to the polls and voted after receiving messages from friends reminding them to vote than those who received messages from ‘the sponsor’. This tells me that the power of a message doesn’t reside in the information (meaning) alone.  Or perhaps the social-value is an even greater source of information.