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

Angela Davis0:00

[gentle music] Anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder. At least half of us will experience a mental illness in our lifetime. In a new podcast from Call to Mind, we hear about the mental health impact of stress, climate change, immigration, and more. I'm Angela Davis. Join me for conversations with people managing hardship and experts seeking solutions. From American Public Media comes Call to Mind. Listen and subscribe on your favorite podcast app.

Kim Mills· Host0:27

[gentle music] Think about the last thing you shared online or via email with someone else, a funny video on TikTok, a news story you thought your friends would enjoy, or a new phrase you've been hearing everywhere. Chances are you didn't share it randomly. Something about it grabbed you and made you think, "I have to pass this along." Every day we're bombarded with information, stories, ideas, and words, but we only feel compelled to share a fraction of that. Why? Why do some things catch on, traveling through networks of conversations, texts, and social media, while others disappear? And what can psychology tell us about why we share what we do? Do we share things differently online and in person? How are the changing social media landscape and artificial intelligence affecting how ideas spread? Welcome to Speaking of Psychology, the flagship podcast of the American Psychological Association that examines the links between psychological science and everyday