Sharing is a form of self-expression
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A minority of the texts that people circulated were original compositions; most material was quoted from other sources. The same is true of modern social-media systems: posting links and snippets found elsewhere is standard practice on blogs, Facebook, and Twitter: and on some platforms, such as Pinterest and Tumblr, more than 80 percent of items shared are "repins" or "reblogs" of items previously posted by other users. Then as now, people enjoy being able to articulate their interests and define themselves by selectively compiling and resharing content created by others. The mere act of sharing something can, in other words, be a form of self-expression.
From Writing on the Wall: Social Media - The First 2,000 Years - Tom Standage
