Reaction

Engagement on social media can take many forms, but one of the most basic is the expression of a user's feelings or opinions about a certain piece of content. This might be done in the form of a comment, but more often than not, it is expressed via a 'reaction' of some kind, usually a thumbs-up or a heart. Platforms have gotten more sophisticated with how users can express themselves, and nowadays, a 'like' is hardly a 'like.

' Missing from this picture, though, is the more significant aspect of why people react the way they do. What is driving users to react to content? What does their reaction say about them, the piece of content itself, or even the platform?

What follows is an exploration of affects in the context of reactions, with a slight detour into how businesses can use this knowledge to better capitalize on consumer reactions.