Things must be negative but not too negative. Hopelessness, despair--these drive us to do nothing. Pity, empathy--those drive us to do something, like get up from our computers to act. But anger, fear, excitement, or laughter--these drive us to spread. They drive us to do something that makes us feel as if we are doing something, when in reality we are only contributing to what is probably a superficial and utterly meaningless conversation. Online games and apps operate on the same principles and exploit the same impulses: be consuming without frustrating, manipulative without revealing the strings.