Mean on social: Is positivity a bad strategy?

Clive Thompson keeps it positive on Twitter. A contributing writer for the New York Times magazine and columnist for Wired recently wrote a piece looking at whether this is the best social media strategy:

I'm generally upbeat on Twitter. Many of my posts are enthusiastic blurts about science or research in which I use way too many exclamation points!! But I've noticed something: When I post an acerbic or cranky tweet, it gets recirculated far more widely than do my cheerier notes. People like it fine when I'm genial, but when I make a caustic joke or cutting comment? Social media gold. This is pure anecdata, of course. Still, it made me wonder if there was any psychological machinery at work here. Is there a reason that purse-lipped opinions would outcompete generous ones?

Thompson joins The Daily Circuit to talk about negativity bias, and the truth about how content get attention online.