如果一件事在很短的時間內就在互聯網上吸引瞭許多人的關註，我們就可以說它已經火瞭 “gone viral”。研究顯示，這些能在短時間內快速傳播的內容通常能夠讓我們感受到情緒上的沖擊。比如，能讓我們開懷大笑或者嘖嘖稱奇，從而促使我們和他人分享這些內容。其他因素，比如時機和流行趨勢，也對一件事在互聯網上的傳播速度有一定的影響。本期節目探討能讓一件事在互聯網上火起來的各種因素。
詞匯：social media 社交媒體
What do these three things have in common: a grumpy baby, Harry Potter puppets singing, and a challenge where you pour a bucket of icy water over your head? The answer – they have all ‘gone viral’.
The world is becoming more and more digital, and we can’t stop it. While growing up, instead of wanting to be a doctor or a teacher, some now aspire to be an influencer or content creator, maybe in the hope of suddenly capturing widespread attention. It’s generally agreed that if your content reaches over 1 million views in a week or less, you have ‘gone viral’. So, how does virality happen?
The marketing tech company Unruly analysed over 400 billion videos and found that emotional connections, like humour and shock value, resonate the most strongly. These emotional elements drive us to share that content with others, and the more shares we have, the more seen that content will be. We should also think about why people want to share content in the first place. Dr Jonah Berger, a Marketing Professor at the Wharton School, says “Sharing allows us to feel connected to others. We share emotions, which allow us to deepen the bonds we have with our peers and with our friends”. So, while we may be behind a screen, we’re still online because we want to connect and communicate with others, and going viral is driven by organic sharing, just like word of mouth but in a digital sense.
Though there are other things to consider. Datadab, a marketing agency, says that our brains are wired to enjoy and recognise patterns, which they say is why internet memes often go viral. If we are already familiar with a theme, like a recognisable image on a meme, then it doesn’t take long for us to understand the context of a new caption, which our brain enjoys and makes us more likely to share it.
Timeliness and relevance are also crucial. Content that is relatable, or that aligns with current trends, captures more interest and encourages more sharing. So, combine all of these factors and you could have content that goes viral.
詞匯表
go viral 在社交媒體上迅速走紅
digital 數字化的
influencer 有影響力的人
content creator 內容創作者
widespread 普遍的，廣泛的
reach 達到
virality （視頻、圖片等）通過網絡迅速傳播的
勢頭
shock value 沖擊性，震撼性
element 因素
share 分享，轉發
bond 紐帶，聯系
peer 同齡人；相同處境、閱歷的人
organic 自發的，自然發生的
word of mouth 口碑，通過口頭傳播的信息或評價
meme 模因，在網絡上不斷傳播的圖片等內容
caption （圖片的）說明文字
timeliness 時效性
relevance 相關性
relatable 能讓人與之有關聯的，能讓人產生共鳴的
trend 流行趨勢
測驗與練習
1. 閱讀課文並回答問題。
1. According to this article, what jobs do some people aspire to do now?
2. True or False? Having one million views makes your content ‘viral’.
3. What did Unruly find out about emotional connections and virality?
4. Why do people share content, according to Dr Berger?
5. Why do memes often go viral?
2. 選擇意思恰當的單詞或詞組來完成下列句子。
1. I prefer seeing people my age in videos. It makes content more _______.
digital widespread organic relatable
2. The _______ Harry has with his guide dog is very special.
influencer bond meme peer
3. Wow. My video has _______ over 20 thousand views!
reached went viral trended shared
4. Safety is a crucial _______ in this project.
timeliness element content virality
5. This company grew through _______. They didn’t pay for marketing.
word of mouth screen context caption
答案
1. 閱讀課文並回答問題。
1. According to this article, what jobs do some people aspire to do now?
Instead of wanting to be a doctor or a teacher, some now aspire to be an influencer or content creator.
2. True or False? Having one million views makes your content ‘viral’.
False. If your content reaches over 1 million views in a week or less, you have ‘gone viral’.
3. What did Unruly find out about emotional connections and virality?
Unruly found that emotional connections, like humour and shock value resonate the most strongly.
4. Why do people share content, according to Dr Berger?
He says, “Sharing allows us to feel connected to others. We share emotions, which allow us to deepen the bonds we have with our peers and with our friends”.
5. Why do memes often go viral?
Because our brains are wired to enjoy and recognise patterns, which memes have.
2. 選擇意思恰當的單詞或詞組來完成下列句子。
1. I prefer seeing people my age in videos. It makes content more relatable.
2. The bond Harry has with his guide dog is very special.
3. Wow. My video has reached over 20 thousand views!
4. Safety is a crucial element in this project.
5. This company grew through word of mouth. They didn’t pay for marketing.
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