As far as I can tell the moms on the site know next to nothing about any of the blockchain and incentive stuff you call groupthink. That is certainly true of the ones I know personally. They just think it is a cool idea and fun. Whether it holds attention longer term I don't know.
What is a cool idea? What specifically do they think is cool about blogging on Steemit that they couldn't do any where else before?
They like the idea of people voting giving rewards rather than just voting to vote. They don't really know or care about the algorithms. If they get $1 or even less on a comment they're pretty happy with it. They don't expect to make as much as the big winners on the front page are are not disappointed that they don't (but perhaps they do secretly hope to get there someday, and maybe that is indeed part of the draw).
I don't vote on their stuff in case you are wondering because my goal is not to give away free money to people I know. I'd rather see how their perceptions evolve without interference.
They think they are giving away money for free. Printing money out-of-thin-air but they don't think of it that way. They just see all those illiquid STEEM POWER valued in $$$$$$ (which is possible only because almost no one is cashing out and instead are powering up, except the probably the whales). And they think maybe some of that karma will come back to them. They think everyone on Steem is so happy something better than their actual lives or other Internet sites. And then the reality will kick them in the ass and they will learn a truism of life.
India lady trying to earn some money for her kids (husband is electrical engineer so likely a blocknerd):
https://steemit.com/introduceyourself/@aramialovely66/mother-of-2-kids-on-steemitI think this mother has abandoned and oh my she transferred money into Steem (a victim):
https://steemit.com/@danielaonsteemIntroduced by her blocknerd bf:
https://steemit.com/steemit/@travelista/hello-steemit-i-am-edith-travel-and-lifestyle-enthusiast-and-recently-steemit-fanIt most always the same story. It is so redundant already.