With over 5.35 billion users worldwide, social media has fundamentally changed the way people access information and engage with content. Social media not only serves as a primary source of news and knowledge, but also influences emotional responses through likes, shares, and comments. This paper examines the mechanisms of social media, in particular the influence of emotional content on affective attitudes and the resulting moral panic. Building on Cohen’s (1972) and Goode and Ben-Yehuda’s (2009) concept of moral panic, a new model is introduced that illustrates how social media accelerates the spread of emotionally charged content, thereby amplifying public concern and intensifying attitudes. Connected to this, the research focuses on mechanisms such as algorithmic targeting, emotional contagion, and social proof. The findings highlight the need for future research to understand the influence of emotionally charged content and the role of social media in the spread of moral panics.
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- 5
- Theory
- 6
- Characteristics of Social Media
- 7
- Conceptualization of Attitudes
- 8
- Understanding Moral Panics
- 9
- Discussion
- 10
- Illustration of the Influence of Social Media on Affective Attitudes
- 10
- Influence of Moral Panic on the Formation of Affective Attitudes via Social Media
- 12
- Conclusion
- 16
- References
- 17
- Appendix
- 22
Objectives & Themes
This paper fundamentally examines the mechanisms by which social media influences affective attitudes, particularly through the impact of emotionally charged content, and the subsequent development of moral panics. The research highlights the critical need for future investigation into the pervasive influence of emotionally charged content and social media's pivotal role in the proliferation of moral panics.
- Analyzing the influence of social media on affective attitudes.
- Understanding the concept and mechanisms of moral panics in the digital age.
- Exploring how emotional content on social media shapes individual perceptions.
- Investigating mechanisms like algorithmic targeting, emotional contagion, and social proof.
- Introducing a new model illustrating social media's role in amplifying public concern and attitudes.
Excerpt from the Book
Illustration of the Influence of Social Media on Affective Attitudes
To thoroughly understand how attitudes are shaped and influenced, it is essential to analyze the multi-component model of attitudes, which examines the interplay of affective, behavioral, and cognitive dimensions (Maio et al., 2019). Hereby, it should be noted that these three dimensions are not always clearly separate from each other but also correspond to a certain extent (Peters & Slovic, 2007). Moreover, these components can be considered consistent or inconsistent, resulting in either alignment or conflict within individuals' attitudes (Netzer et al., 2018). Based on this model, the following discussion will examine the role of affective attitudes within social media contexts, elucidating how these dimensions interact and influence user perceptions and behaviors.
As previously mentioned, one of the main approaches in attitude research is the multidimensional approach to attitudes (Maio et al., 2019). Thereby, affective attitudes represent the effect aroused during real or mental contact with an attitude object. This attitude formation is influenced by various factors, including the involvement of feelings or emotions associated with an attitude object. The emotional response to an object is also related to the individual's general emotional state, which may be expressed as positive or negative feelings towards the object (Netzer et al., 2018).
In social media, users primarily use platforms to exchange information, express personal opinions, or share emotions. Users often rely on images, emojis, and videos to express their emotions. These visual posts allow users to recognize and interpret emotions (Cherbonnier & Michinov, 2022). A significant role is played by emojis, which serve as a symbolic image for expressing feelings and allow users to communicate complex emotions quickly and effectively. Generally regarded as tools for transmitting emotions, emojis function similarly to nonverbal cues in face-to-face communication (Derks et al., 2008). By underlining the context of the information, emojis can significantly influence the perception of a message (Cherbonnier & Michinov, 2022). In fact, a sad emoji or a sad face on a photo is easier to interpret than a written text (Kohout et al., 2023).
These considerations align with research about affective attitudes from Zajonc (1980) and Verplanken et al. (1998). Zajonc (1980) states that emotional attitudes are more easily identified and recognized. Also, later research by Verplanken et al. (1998) suggests that affective evaluations are primary and fundamental, leading to faster judgments relating to feelings rather than thoughts. As a result, it can be postulated that the affective components like photos or emojis in social media, are de facto and more easily accessible than the other components of attitudes. Consequently, affective attitudes, both in general and in the context of social media, are perceived as more salient and can be recalled more quickly.
Additionally, emotions and affective attitudes may not only function as evaluative states but can also be objects of evaluation themselves (Netzer et al., 2018).
When conceptualizing affective attitudes as evaluative states—reflecting an overall positive or negative assessment driven by emotions—examining actions such as likes, shares, and retweets is essential. Users can spread their emotional reactions through those actions, reflecting the user's emotional engagement and creating collective dynamics (Goldenberg & Gross, 2020). In addition, comments allow users to express their agreement or disagreement with a post. These statements can be emotionally charged and demonstrate how a person feels about the content. Although the evaluative nature of comments shapes the perception of posts, emotional expressions help in community building, enhance user engagement, and foster a sense of belonging (Kohout et al., 2023). Additionally, widespread approval or disapproval on social media can lead to viral posts or so-called “shitstorm”. While viral posts typically involve content that is widely shared (Berger & Milkman, 2012), shitstorms are marked by a high affective intensity, where negative emotions like anger, outrage, or disappointment are collectively amplified in response to a specific event or post (Steinke, 2014).
Summary of Chapters
Introduction: This chapter highlights the transformative impact of social media on information consumption and emotional responses, setting the stage for the paper's examination of social media's influence on affective attitudes and moral panics.
Theory: This section lays the groundwork by defining social media, conceptualizing attitudes within a multi-component model, and introducing the phenomenon of moral panics.
Characteristics of Social Media: This chapter describes social media platforms as essential tools for user-generated content, emotional expression, and digital emotion contagion, detailing how they facilitate information dissemination and attitude formation.
Conceptualization of Attitudes: This section delves into attitudes as a fundamental concept in social psychology, explaining their definition, stability, implicit/explicit forms, and the multi-component model encompassing cognitive, affective, and behavioral aspects.
Understanding Moral Panics: This chapter explores moral panics as societal fears amplified by media, tracing their historical development through Cohen's and Goode & Ben-Yehuda's concepts and outlining their emotional and definitional criteria.
Discussion: This chapter integrates the fundamental concepts of social media, affective attitudes, and moral panics, illustrating their complex interactions and profound influence on user perceptions and behaviors.
Illustration of the Influence of Social Media on Affective Attitudes: This section specifically details how social media impacts affective attitudes through emotional content, user engagement, and mechanisms like digital emotion contagion, emphasizing the salience of emotional components.
Influence of Moral Panic on the Formation of Affective Attitudes via Social Media: This chapter analyzes how moral panics are amplified by social media's algorithmic targeting, emotional contagion, and social proof, ultimately leading to the formation and polarization of attitudes.
Conclusion: This final chapter summarizes the paper's key findings regarding social media's role in reinforcing affective attitudes and moral panics, underscoring the dangers of emotionally driven content and advocating for future research into moderation and fact-based information.
Keywords
affective attitudes, moral panic, social media, emotions, attitude formation, emotional content, algorithmic targeting, social proof, user-generated content, digital communication, social amplification, persuasion, public opinion, emotional contagion, echo chambers.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is this work fundamentally about?
This work fundamentally examines how social media influences affective attitudes and contributes to the spread of moral panics, particularly through the dissemination of emotionally charged content.
What are the central thematic fields?
The central thematic fields of this work are social media, the formation and change of attitudes (especially affective attitudes), and the phenomenon of moral panics.
What is the primary goal or research question?
The primary goal is to analyze the mechanisms of social media, specifically how emotional content influences affective attitudes and results in moral panics, highlighting the need for future research to understand these dynamics.
Which scientific method is used?
This paper adopts a theoretical and analytical approach, building upon existing concepts and research (e.g., Cohen's and Goode & Ben-Yehuda's moral panic concepts) to introduce a new model and discuss the underlying psychological and social mechanisms. It does not present new empirical data.
What is covered in the main part?
The main part defines social media, conceptualizes attitudes (including the multi-component model), provides an understanding of moral panics, and discusses how social media influences affective attitudes and how moral panics are formed and amplified through social media interactions.
What keywords characterize the work?
The work is characterized by keywords such as affective attitudes, moral panic, social media, emotions, emotional content, algorithmic targeting, social proof, social amplification, and public opinion.
How do emojis influence emotional perception on social media?
Emojis play a significant role on social media by serving as symbolic images for expressing feelings, allowing users to communicate complex emotions quickly and effectively, much like nonverbal cues in face-to-face communication, and thereby influencing the perception of a message.
What is the multi-component model of attitudes, and how does social media interact with it?
The multi-component model of attitudes posits that an attitude comprises cognitive (beliefs), affective (feelings/emotions), and behavioral (actions/intentions) components. Social media interacts with this model by actively encouraging and intensifying emotional interaction, making affective components particularly salient and easily accessible through likes, shares, and comments.
How does the social proof principle contribute to the spread of moral panics on social media?
The social proof principle contributes to moral panics on social media by leveraging the visibility of others' reactions (likes, comments, shares) as perceived social guidance. This reinforces prevailing attitudes and can lead users to adopt or amplify reactions, especially in situations of uncertainty about correct behavior or perceptions.
What are "shitstorms" in the context of social media and emotional intensity?
"Shitstorms" are a phenomenon on social media marked by high affective intensity, where negative emotions like anger, outrage, or disappointment are collectively amplified in response to a specific event or post, often resulting from widespread disapproval of content.
- Citation du texte
- Anonyme,, 2024, Moral Panics by Social Media. An Illustration of the Influence of Social Media on Affective Attitudes, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1561500
