Report: Happiness is contagious in social networks

I found this story at CNN fascinating: http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/12/05/happiness.social.network

While it appears to be largely about traditional, not electronic, social networks, there is so much that should cross over here. It also jives with my personal experiences where taking a positive approach can have a "leavening" effect on larger groups. Certainly, my experience running group tours was a great tutorial in that principle, as I noticed that my influence was very significant in how the group was "feeling." My experiences in church leadership roles and running a company have been very similar.

I extend this easily to the social networking sites, particularly the ones in Ning where there is a defined community. My experiences in Classroom 2.0 in particular have pointed out how very important it is for the creator or moderators of a network to model civility and thoughtfulness, and how that easily spreads to the group and becomes a part of the networks "personality."

I'm also making a mental note to spend more time with really fit people (see the article :).