The social media pleasure of a riot

One of the overlooked elements in assessing behaviour is pleasure. Ask people why they use social media, even for quite functional tasks, and it’s clear they enjoy the actual process of typing, swiping, beeping and clicking. Put that together with a dramatic event and social media helps turn enjoyment into excitement. You see it at work (or in play) at sports events, music festivals or even watching Newsnight. And perhaps riots, too.