In this study, we examined the under-researched online shaming or online “lynching”, which is the response of a mass of online users to one individual who is perceived to have broken a social norm. We wanted to identify the behavioural, environmental and personality determinants of online shaming from the perspective of online users. Using a qualitative multiple case study approach, we analysed six Slovenian cases of online shaming and for each case of online shaming, we obtained several thousand online comments from various online discussions and analysed the data using thematic analysis and LDA – machine learning technique. In our sample, we found five forms of shaming: bullying, vigilantism, bigotry, calls to resign and apologise, and ridicule. Individuals can be victims of shaming for three reasons: a mistake/slip-up, indifference or deliberately harming other people. Online users most often make fun of victims who have violated a social norm because of a mistake, while victims who have deliberately harmed other people and thus violated a social norm are most often bullied. The norms of good and role-appropriate behaviour and of respectful attitudes towards other people were the most frequently violated norms, and these norms were rooted in social and religious values and most often related to the cultural dimension of hierarchy, i. e. respect for authority and roles. Users often perceived violations of social norms as unfair and judged that the victim deserved to be punished. They often expressed the belief that the Slovene society is unjust. The most common affective motivations for users to shame others were joy at the misfortune of a stranger, sadistic tendencies, disgust, and pity for the one who was hurt by the victim's norm breaking. The conceptual psychological model we propose to explain online shaming is based on Bandura's social cognitive theory, and we use it to explain online shaming at the behavioural, environmental, and personal levels from the perspective of online users. The model may have practical value for any professional profile dealing with online users, as the findings of the research help to understand the motivations of online users to engage in online shaming.
|
