A recent study done by AOL and Neilsen offers interesting insights into how people share content on the web and what kind of content do they prefer sharing.

Among their findings,  they determined that users spend over half their time online consuming content. Social media and email were the next largest categories of consumption. Message boards are popular for discussing content with the public. News, product information and how-to articles are more likely to be shared than say deals or just-for-fun items.

People are more likely to share content that is trustworthy and helpful and so content is the fuel of social interaction and connection across the web

Content Sharing Study