#social-influence

#social-influence

Fresh research from the Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) shows nearly a quarter of Dutch adults, 24%, believe people around them see gambling as normal behavior. Men were significantly more likely than women to share that view. The regulator surveyed 1,000 residents and found that when gambling comes up casually in conversations with friends or family, people are more likely to join in themselves.

What do social climbers and gossipmongers have in common? My mother would tell me that both are morally suspect. This moral umbrage is etched into lessons from fairy tales and scripture that we readily pass on to our children: Avoid the schemer and the whisperer. But stories are known to simplify reality. The truth is that that the most effective gossipers and social climbers possess a remarkable grasp of social structure, knowledge they use to cleverly navigate their social worlds.

Between last-minute weekend trips, fun dinners and the endless scroll of friends' social media highlight reels, it's easy to find ourselves swept into a season of "yes." Yes to the concert. Yes to the extra round. Yes to that shirt we didn't know we "needed" until five minutes ago. By fall, the glow starts to fade, and the bills start to arrive.

An NHS doctor stated in an inquest that she was worried about the influence of Paloma Shemirani's mother on her decision to refuse chemotherapy, which could have saved her.

If something is most shared, we might assume that means many people had to read it and then deem it interesting enough or important enough to pass it on.

Please surround yourself with the right people. You hang out with four lazy kids, you become the fifth. Find the kids that make you better.