TED videos, often seasoned with cheery platitudes, become viral for the
same reason that grumpy cat pictures do. They don't ask us to think
critically — just to enjoy, or be amused and enlightened without the
time-consuming labor of skepticism and doubt clouding our clicks. Why do
we want to share these stories? Because in some sense they are not open
to interpretation. You don't have to worry whether your friends will
wonder why you shared this – it's obvious.
....Most of
all, we don't want to say something that we didn't intend. And that is
the danger with any story that falls into the valley of ambiguity. We
can't be sure how people will take it. We don't want to risk our
reputations on a story that can be taken more than one way.
More
than anything, the fear of a smeared reputation is what creates that
dip in virality. Sharing a story means that in some sense we stake our
reputation on it. That's why sharing a story is not the same thing as
enjoying a story, reading a story, or even learning from a story.
- Viral Journalism and the Valley of Ambiguity
descensus Averno facilis est