Experts, drawing attention to the psychological and social dynamics that cause individuals to exhibit different behaviors on online platforms compared to their daily lives, state that social media also offers individuals the opportunity to connect without revealing their identities, in other words, by remaining anonymous.
Communications expert Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bahar Muratoğlu Pehlivan, stating that when anonymity on social media combines with group behavior, individuals' internal boundaries can disappear, and people can experience a liberation from norms, said, “This situation can lead to violent and aggressive behaviors.”
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bahar Muratoğlu Pehlivan, Head of the New Media and Communication (English) Department at Üsküdar University Faculty of Communication, evaluated the phenomenon of social lynching and online aggression on social media.
Individuals may behave differently when part of a group
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bahar Muratoğlu Pehlivan, stating that individuals behaving differently when part of a group is a scientifically known and long-studied subject, said, “When people act as members of a group, they can experience identity uncertainty, loosen their internal inhibitions, identify with the group, and engage in behaviors atypical for themselves. A similar situation can arise in online communication. Today, people can form groups and act together not only physically but also online. Furthermore, social media offers individuals the opportunity to connect without revealing their identities, in other words, by remaining anonymous. When this anonymity and group behavior combine, individuals' internal boundaries can disappear, and people can experience a liberation from norms. This situation can lead to violent and aggressive behaviors.”
The dangerous face of anonymity!
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bahar Muratoğlu Pehlivan explained that individuals exhibiting different behaviors online compared to their daily lives stems from situations such as anonymity, the emergence of identity uncertainty as in a group, and people caring less about how they represent themselves and how others perceive them. “All these factors lead to internal inhibitions being less active. The concept of online disinhibition (impulsive behaviors) comes into play at this point. This effect explains that people restrict themselves less in their online behaviors due to various factors such as anonymity, invisibility, and asynchronicity. This can result in individuals both sharing more information they would normally keep private about themselves and displaying more rude and aggressive behaviors,” she stated.
Anonymity leads to decreased self-control
Emphasizing that online anonymity greatly affects individuals' self-control, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bahar Muratoğlu Pehlivan said, “Studies show that anonymity, along with identity uncertainty, encourages violent, aggressive behaviors, and consequently, lynching and cyberbullying. We see a significant 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. In short, anonymity leads to decreased responsibility, inability to see the consequences of actions, reduced self-control, and thus a relaxation of internal inhibitions, resulting in identity uncertainty.”
Serious consequences of online lynching
Noting that one of the most important aspects of online lynching and cyberbullying is how difficult it is to escape, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bahar Muratoğlu Pehlivan continued:
“For example, it is not possible to go home and escape from aggressive behaviors. Another important factor is the wide potential audience. Additionally, individuals may have a perception that what happens online does not have real-world consequences, and they may not realize the harm they inflict on others. The bully's reduced awareness of their actions decreases the chances of empathy or regret. However, the consequences of these behaviors are real and can be extremely serious.”
Mute those sending aggressive messages…
Pointing out the importance of not reading aggressive messages and seeking help from someone else when they need to be reviewed, to cope with situations like bullying, aggression, and harassment, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bahar Muratoğlu Pehlivan also shared the following measures people can take to protect themselves from public lynching:
“It is important to check whether your personal information, such as your address, has been shared. This may require performing a social media search. Muting and blocking those sending aggressive messages, and restricting notifications and message reception can also be helpful.”