The desire to fit in is evident from an early age; from having the latest “must have” present at Christmas, to having the latest style of clothing. Can we honestly say that Nike Air Max trainers, with their inch of bubble and infinite stripes of laces, were really all they cracked up to be? You owned a pair didn’t you…

We all love to be loved. If we post something on Facebook and we get “likes” from those we know, it’s a pleasant surprise and said approval from your peers only further fuels the need for future kudos.

Facebook interestingly is a prime example of how social validation can be used to positive effect. By the simple and regular application of the “like” button, we can “like” everything that anyone does, without having to go to the actual  trouble of reasoning as to why. 

I can “like” a tv show. I can “like” a cheese sandwich. I can “like” a photo of my best friend in a witty scenario. However, I cannot so easily “dislike”, as the functionality doesn’t exist. To be derogatory, I have to go to the efforts of manually creating a comment to explain myself. And then there’s the possibility of a backlash from onlookers. In this context, Facebook have got it right, they’ve kept it positive.

There are times when negative feedback can be beneficial of course. On Trip Advisor, they’ve employed a star rating mechanism which is ideal as they’re impartial. However, if a woeful hotel were to employ the same technique on their own website, and everyone rated them poorly, nobody would book in (student backpackers excluded).

Social validation is a powerful mechanism, but it needs careful consideration. If it refers specifically to a product/service only you offer or a community-based website, it potentially needs to operate like a totalitarian regime.

1. arcraic liked this
2. andyshield posted this