Subtle Persuasion in an Age of Social Media and Information Overload

Professional persuaders try to generate “a distinct kind of automatic, mindless compliance” in people, a “willingness to say yes without thinking first,” believes psychologist Robert B. Cialdini. The best-selling author of Influence cautions: “The ever-accelerating pace and informational crush of modern life will make . . . unthinking compliance more and more prevalent in the future. It will be increasingly important for the society, therefore, to understand the how and why of automatic influence.” What does this mean for you as a consumer and participant in social media?