Cooperation

The following post is in response to questions regarding the The Evolution of Cooperation.

How does the Prisoners' Dilemma apply to the social media world?

Social media is applicable to the prisoners’ dilemma. In both situations it is important to make decisions and connects with those around you. Social dilemmas are situations in which collective interests are at odds with private interests. Such situations arise when faced with prioritizing either short-term selfish interests or the long-term interests of a group, organization, or society. Whether you are in a prisoner dilemma or social media dilemma, you must connect and trust those around you in order to have success.

Should a Facebook friend keep providing favors to another friend who never reciprocates?

The friend should not continue to provide favors to the person who is not reciprocating. Instead, the friend should direct its service to somewhere else. The truth is we all want something from our friends, emotional support, attention, or even a hand when we need one. Friends who reciprocate will continue to be provided favors as well as gain more and more trust.

Why would cooperation between a business and their customers be so important?

Without customers, there is no business. Cooperation is very important between a business and their customers in to help them connect with one another. Through cooperation customers are able to gain a better understanding of the business, experience the business in a way, and gain their trust.

A good example that I discovered is how Dunkin’ Donuts responded to a customer on twitter. After receiving a burnt sandwich, a Dunkin’ Donut customer sent out a tweet explaining how that was not the best way to start of his morning. In response, Dunkin Donuts quickly tweeted back with some customer service. By doing this, they were able to connect with their customer and have the opportunity to gain his trust back. This particular example shows why cooperation between a business and their customers can be so important.

How can you promote cooperation on social media?

There are many ways to promote cooperation on social media. One way that is very simple and effective is engaging with your fans. This can be done by simply liking their post, responding to it, or even sharing it. When a business does this, they allow themselves to engage and connect with their audience.

When should a person cooperate and when should they be selfish?

There is no wrong or right answer to this question but there is a way to balance them. Depending on the situation, at times it is appropriate to cooperate and at other times it’s ok to be selfish. There will be times where you may ask for help and advice but it is also important to make sure you provide similar information to those around you as well.