Anonymity on social media fuels social lynching!

Drawing attention to the psychological and social dynamics that cause individuals to behave differently on online platforms compared to their everyday lives, experts say that social media also offers individuals the opportunity to connect without revealing their identities, in other words, by remaining anonymous.

Stating that when anonymity is combined with group behavior in social media, the inner boundaries of individuals can disappear and people can experience freedom from norms, Communication Specialist Assoc. Prof. Bahar Muratoğlu Pehlivan expressed that "This can lead to violent and aggressive behavior."

Üsküdar University Faculty of Communication, Head of New Media and Communication (English) Department Assoc. Prof. Bahar Muratoğlu Pehlivan evaluated the phenomenon of social lynching and online aggression on social media.

Individuals may behave differently when they belong to a group

Stating that individuals behave differently when they are included in a group, and that it is a subject that has been scientifically known and studied for a long time, Assoc. Prof. Bahar Muratoğlu Pehlivan said that "When people act as a member of a group, they can relieve their internal limitations by experiencing identity uncertainty, identify with the group and engage in behaviors that are not typical for them. A similar situation can arise in online communication. Nowadays, people can come together not only physically but also online, forming groups and moving together. Moreover, social media offers individuals the opportunity to connect without revealing their identities, in other words, while remaining anonymous. When this anonymity and group behavior are combined, the inner boundaries of individuals can disappear, and people can experience a liberation from norms. This can lead to violent and aggressive behavior."

The dangerous side of anonymity!

Explaining that individuals behave differently from their everyday lives online, how people represent themselves and care less about how others see them, and anonymity is caused by situations such as the emergence of identity ambiguity as in the group, Assoc. Prof. Bahar Muratoğlu Pehlivan stated that "All these cause internal restrictions to be less active. This is where the concept of the online disinhibition (impulsive behaviors) effect comes into play. This effect explains the fact that people are less restrained in their online behavior with various factors such as anonymity, invisibility, asynchrony, etc. This can result in individuals sharing more information about themselves that they would normally keep confidential, as well as showing more rude and aggressive behavior."

Anonymity leads to a decrease in self-control

Emphasizing that online anonymity greatly affects the self-control of individuals, Assoc. Prof. Bahar Muratoğlu Pehlivan said, "Studies show that anonymity encourages violent, aggressive behaviors and therefore lynching and cyberbullying, along with uncertainty of identity. We see that there is an important relationship between cyberbullying and anonymity. For example, when comparing anonymous and non-anonymous comments, there are studies showing that anonymous comments contain more hatred, rudeness and prejudice. To summarize, anonymity means decreased responsibility, not being able to see the consequences of behaviors, decreased self-control, and therefore loosening internal constraints cause identity uncertainty."

Serious consequences of online lynching

Noting that one of the most important points in online lynching and cyberbullying is that it is very difficult to escape, Assoc. Prof. Bahar Muratoğlu Pehlivan continued her remarks as follows:

"For instance, it is not possible to go home and get rid of aggressive behavior. Another important factor is the potential large audience. Moreover, individuals may have a perception that what happens online does not have any real consequences in real life and may not realize the harm they cause to others. The fact that the bully is less aware of their behavior reduces the chances of situations such as empathy or remorse. However, the consequences of these behaviors are real and can be extremely serious."

Mute those who send offensive messages...

Pointing out the importance of not reading offensive messages to cope with situations such as bullying, aggression and harassment and getting help from someone else when they need to be examined, Assoc. Prof. Bahar Muratoğlu Pehlivan also stated the following about the measures they can take to protect themselves from social lynching:

"It is important to check whether your personal information, for example your address, is shared. Therefore, it may be necessary to search social media. Mute and block senders of offensive messages, as well as restricting notifications and message receptions can also help."

 

Üsküdar News Agency (ÜNA)