What follows is a long-winded, unapologetically ostentatious reproach of a post made by Calaber24p, which can be found here: https://steemit.com/steemit/@calaber24p/why-steem-appeals-to-primal-human-nature-and-basic-human-emotion. My post has not been proof-read. It has not even been considered for proofreading or fact-checking. In fact, if you even mention proofreading I will insult your family. Read at your own discretion.
A few hours ago, I stumbled upon a post that attempted to dissect some of the psychological mechanisms underlying the appeal of this platform. On a macroscopic level, the user produced an interesting point of conversation: what is it about Steemit (and for that matter Reddit, Tumblr, etc.) that is so appealing? What is it that drives users to produce content; to comment on that content; to spend time writing long-winded, trivial refutations such as mine to people they've never met and will never meet? In the following paragraphs, I'm going to produce my own partial explanation for this behavior while contesting some of the explanations posited by Calaber24p.
Warning: baseless conjecture and inordinate amounts of pretentiousness are to follow.
I find it interesting that the post in question begins its discussion with a rather vapid statement regarding the idea that humans maintain similar desires. In producing the recognizable names of Freud and Jung, the user maneuvers to prime his following arguments with the legitimacy lent by such name recognition. On this point I will be brief: the psychology of the last two centuries has indeed held a great interest in exploring human behavior and its underpinnings. However, the structure of the needs, as well as the needs themselves driving that behavior, is all but uniform across the "great psychologists" such as Freud and Jung. Granted the user doesn't explicitly say they are, but this is the impression given in the following authority with which the user seems to present his argument.
I take specific issue with the presentation of recognition and admiration as primal needs, specifically ones that are underlying the appeal of steem to its users. In following Maslow's hierarchy, which is by no means without its glaring flaws and questionable validity, the primal needs are exactly that: primal. They consist of biological necessity and are in purpose for the basic survival of each human. My use of Maslow's description of needs here is twofold: just as its simplicity will keep this post from meandering longer than it has already, its precession of "esteem" by needs for "love and belonging" highlights the first of my proposed mechanisms for steem's appeal.
I want to focus here specifically on the "belonging" element contained in the hierarchy. Contained therein I believe are the constructs around which Calaber frames his entire argument, but with an additional element: identity. This is what I believe is one of the key elements lending to the success of such platforms as Reddit, Tumblr, etc. These platforms represent models of community from which people draw their own meaning. They represent a place where belonging is the product more of ideas and interests than historically divisive attributes such as gender, race, ethnicity, socioeconomics, etc. For steem to succeed, it goes without saying that fostering community will be one of its most important objectives, especially one that differs even slightly from its competitors.
In addition to community, I believe another crucial component to be the reward system that is utilized in platforms such as steem. Calabitch unintentionally touches on this point with his descriptions of recognition and admiration and the "feelings" underlying those constructs. More broadly and more importantly to recognize is what I believe to be the process engendering those satisfying reactions. The instant-reward system offered by platforms such as steem seems to be a major element in the psychology of their users. Whether it's upvotes or real monetary value, the instant feedback users receive in the form of an orange arrow or a numerical value lends in itself value to the content created by those users.
This, I contend, goes beyond the recognition and admiration Calacarebear describes in his own post. Users don't want to be recognized, they want to be REWARDED in some form for their efforts. If recognition was one of two key prerogatives for users, then what accounts for the difference in satisfaction described as felt by Calaber himself? He states his feelings of satisfaction of earning $1 here as significantly greater than those for receiving several thousand upvotes on Reddit. The recognition element seems quantifiably greater on that platform than here, yet he feels greater satisfaction on steem. I speculate that this reported enhanced satisfaction stems from the greater value inherent to steem's reward system. The unique promise of real financial rewards incentivizes users in a way different from steem's competitors. While recognition and admiration are no doubt at least a part of this system, it is the reward element of the platform that I believe is at the core of steem's true appeal.
In conclusion, I don't feel like writing a conclusion. What I really wanted to say with all this is FUCK YOU Calaber, you worthless piece of turd. You owe me $6 for pizza. You were supposed to buy ME pizza as a goodbye and I ended up buying mine AND yours. Send me my god damn money