Online gift-giving has given rise to more gift-giving, according to a study conducted by René Kizilcec, Cornell University assistant professor of information science.

"Gift-giving is a fundamental part of human relationships, and technology is changing how it occurs: Social networking sites create greater awareness for gift-worthy occasions like birthdays, and gifts can be given last minute and over long distances. Digital traces of online gift exchanges are lifting the veil off these acts of generosity and inspire people to give more," Kizilcec said.

Looking at online gift-giving trends on Facebook during 2013 — when the social media platform sent out reminders about birthdays along with gift suggestions such as a $15 Starbucks gift card — Kizikcec and his team found that users who received gifts on Facebook were 56 percent more likely to also give a gift — seemingly inspired by receiving a gift in the first place.

"We found substantial evidence of social influence driving gift-giving behavior," said Kizilcec. "This boost in online gifts was not just the result of substitution away from offline gifts; but rather, it appears that receiving online gifts inspires people to give more gifts overall."

Researchers also discovered that the majority of the online gifts were reciprocal with three-fourths of Facebook gift-givers noting that they had received a gift (both online and offline) in the past from the person they were giving a gift to. Yet, only 11 percent of recipients directly reciprocated gifts on Facebook.

Kizilcec explained: "It initially appeared as if online gifting was spreading on Facebook by paying forward acts of kindness. Upon closer inspection, it became clear that there is a broader network of gift exchanges, and these acts of reciprocity seamlessly transcend the online and offline worlds."

In half of the situations, Kizilcec noted that Facebook gifts were given in response to offline gifts. "We found that 58 percent of givers said they would still have given that person a gift without Facebook, but 42 percent reported that it would have been more difficult. This indicates that some Facebook gifts were substitutes for gifts given through other channels, while other Facebook gifts were incremental, this is, they would not have occurred otherwise," he said.

Another factor influencing online gift-giving on Facebook, according to the research, had to do with age. "While millennials gave fewer gifts on Facebook than non-millennials in absolute terms, millennials were easily influenced to give online gifts after receiving one. On average, millennials were twice as likely to give gifts on Facebook after receiving one," Kizilcec said. "Nevertheless, people between the ages of 45 and 64 still had the highest levels of Facebook giving, partly because they gave gifts to both their peers and younger generations."

While technology may alter how gifts are given, "the societal norms and practices transcend the gap between digital and in-person giving," Kizilcec said. "This study reveals that people rapidly internalize social norms about online gift-giving. Those who saw their friends exchange gifts were more likely to consider online giving 'normal' than those who learned about online gifts through other means."

"At a time when the spread of misinformation is in the foreground," he said, "it is especially gratifying to see strong evidence for the spread of kind and cooperative behaviors like gift-giving."