The comments section is often the best part of the internet. Bored Panda has collected 47 of the funniest and most award-worthy online comments to prove that point, gathering material from across the web that the site says is even better than the original posts.
The roundup, titled “47 Threads That Prove You Always Need To Read The Comments,” showcases the wit, roasts, and comebacks that make online discussions worth scrolling through. From snail psychology jokes to jokes about video game villages, the collection is a masterclass in digital banter.
Why We Share What We Share
Going viral with a good post or comment can be a lot of fun. It boosts your ego and makes you feel like a huge part of the world is listening to and hopefully agreeing with you. Since humans are social creatures, this kind of attention and approval makes us feel like valuable members of the digital tribe.
We feel respected, adored, and influential. When you rack up millions of views, hundreds of thousands of likes, and thousands of reshares, it makes you feel like you’re powerful and can change the world.
But there is a science behind the chaos. Jonah Berger, PhD, a professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, studies word-of-mouth, influence, and consumer behavior. He says people often think it is random luck or chance that they become popular.
“There’s actually really a science behind it.”
According to Berger, the psychology of social transmission explains why we talk about certain things rather than others. He analyzed thousands of pieces of online content, tens of thousands of brands, and millions of purchases both around the United States and around the world.
“We’ve analyzed thousands of pieces of online content, tens of thousands of brands and millions of purchases both around the United States and around the world. And again and again, we see the same science coming up, the same six factors driving things to catch on and be shared. And so at the core, it’s really about the psychology of social transmission. Why do we talk about certain things rather than others? Why do we share what we’re doing this weekend or not talk about something that happened last weekend? And what about that science can help us understand why things become popular?” Berger told the American Psychological Association.
The Six Ingredients of Virality
Berger’s research points to a framework called STEPPS, which breaks down the psychological drivers behind sharing. Viral content rarely does all six of these things, but it usually has at least one of these ingredients:
- S for social currency
- T for triggers
- E for emotion
- P for public
- P for practical value
- S for stories
“Each of those is a psychological driver of why people talk and why they share. It’s not about certain products versus ideas versus services. It’s not about business-to-consumer versus business-to-business. It’s not about expensive things versus cheap things. It’s really about the science of why things get passed on. Why do we talk about some things that happened to us last weekend and not others? Why do we talk about certain trips or vacations we took years ago, but not other ones? And how does all this help us understand why things catch on?” Berger told the APA.
The expert notes that viral content is not about the product or the price point. It is about the underlying psychology of why people pass things along.
What the Data Shows
Marketing tech company Unruly took a different approach to the same question. The firm analyzed around 430 billion video views and 100k consumer data points to find what drives viral success.
Harvard Business Review reports that two powerful drivers lead to viral success: psychological response, which is how the content makes you feel, and social motivation, which is why you want to share it.
The stronger and more intense the feelings that content evokes in us, the more likely we are to share it online. That explains why a comment about snail behavior can take off while a perfectly reasonable observation gets ignored.
The Comments Themselves
The collection features a range of standout comments. One user shared a deeply relatable frustration: “I was recently listening to 35 minutes of telephone hold music, punctuated by loud spoken advertisements every 45 seconds.”
Another offered a deadpan take on government: “The US is actually run by very intelligent people who know exactly what they are doing.”
One commenter delivered a mini-lecture on gastropods: “Snails see and smell food up to 30 metres away. They make soft rasping noises when eating. And they hide underground when giving birth. Follow me for more interesting snail psychology insights.”
And a gamer admitted a personal quirk: “Admittedly I did use Amiibos to make my town mostly Wolf villagers as well XD.”
Luck vs. Craft
You can improve your odds of going viral with good content, genuine wit, effort, and hard and smart work. But some aspects of virality—luck, timing, and other current events—are entirely out of your hands.
You might have the perfect post or comment, and it gets barely any views because something else was dominating the discussion online. Or you might end up with millions of views on a throwaway witty insight that you barely put any effort into.
You can’t control luck, but you can improve your odds by consistently posting quality content and insights. It also helps if you genuinely like what you do and the type of topics and content you interact with.
You’ll find it tough to stay motivated with all the endless writing, posting, and resharing if you’re only ever in for the likes and online attention. Sure, being liked is nice. But being liked for something you’re proud of is better.
Bored Panda is asking readers to weigh in on their own commenting habits. How often do you read the comments underneath social media posts and online articles? How often do you actually write comments? Where do you look for inspiration for humor?
The answers, no doubt, will be in the comments.
Source: boredpanda.com
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