Wednesday, 23 September 2015

The Hypodermic Needle Theory Now Appears to be True... on Social Media


It has been a considerable time since my last post. Since then I have travelled to Japan and I will be writing on that, but I also have been observing and trying to understand large and repeating online events. Social media is an online activity that most of the “always online” and relatively affluent participate in every day. It takes up our time and our attention, and while many articles argued against that years ago, that isn’t what I am doing here. No, what troubles me is that a first year theory that I was taught was incorrect, actually now appears to be accurate and repeating in our social media saturated existence.

There is an old theory that when people read newspapers or listened to the radio (I said it was an old theory) that the messages hit them, entered their minds and changed them. They would, in positions and opinions, accord with the message, come around and accept it, believe it and share it privately and in public life. This was the hypodermic needle model, also known as the hypodermic-syringe theory (which is how I first encountered  it), and also the  magic bullet theory. The audience and receivers are passive and the message clearly enters their minds and is completely accepted. Fair enough, it is a 20th century theory, but how is this relevant today?
To a worrying extent, the messages spread through the public via social media have created examples of uniform thinking, quickly shifted attitudes, positions and opinions with ease and given immense attention upon the newly raised causes (they are informally called trends, or what is trending). Along with all this, once a message gathers real support and spreads through social media, there is hostility towards those that hold a contrary opinion or stance to recently the changed attitude or opinion. Whether they do or do not possess evidence or facts to back up their opposition to these new social media causes, there is hostility, personal attacks and threats against them. The mob of converts eagerly and consistently attacks those that disagree with what is temporarily being espoused very loudly at the moment. People that resist the change or argue against it or say they don't care come under attack.
Shaped by online trends that spread simplistic positions (never ideal for deep thought) people are not becoming more cynical or critically aware (so much for teaching critical thinking in schools). Instead they pass on the messages and causes, seem to believe them and believe in them. That is until the next cause and social media tidal wave come along, and then positions and attitudes are reset. This is a really worrying thing to see in the public. In the links below they discuss the problems of public shaming and the digital age. Both for those that are targetted by social media “justice” campaigns and pressure and personal attacks upon those that do not agree with or go along with the latest magic-bullet cause that hits the online masses, reverberates through them and then changes their attitudes and what they care about and support.
As the hypodermic-syringe theory has become more evident and encountered online, it impacts daily life, attitudes and opinions beyond online spaces. People are becoming fickle, easily manipulated and willing to chase to support popular causes of the moment, and this is happening over and over again. Online exposure to more injections involves more quickly changing opinions, more sharing and more attacks upon those few that disagree. Then the next online trend comes along and then the next one. It is appearing quite cyclical and it isn’t stopping, nor are people getting tired of spreading the causes and simplified attitudes via social media, or attacking those that resist the mob's message. This fickle behaviour seems to have rewards and keeps people involved and liking, sharing and arguing for whatever new cause comes along.

Here are some examples I have noted down, not in chronological order, including how they manifested:

Save the dolphins with harsh criticisms of centuries of fishing traditions in the Faroe islands, and that they should have their fishing rights removed.
Cecil the lion and hatred towards hunters and hunting, with threats en masse made against a dentist.
Jenner appears on Vanity Fair, widespread sharing and acceptance of a crafted image.
Reports of police violence (in multiple countries), growing hostility towards police and the encouragement of violence and revolt. This one repeats throughout 2015.
Legalise gay marriage campaign circulates, and the rainbow profile change sees considerable sudden support.
Shaming of Men’s Rights Movements, delegitimises the movement, their concerns and damages their voice.
Outrage against Kony, hatred, racism and condemnation years after his active period and fall from considerable power.
The EU migrant crisis, and calls for all states to take more, even as states (Macedonia & Hungary) are overwhelmed.
Domestically, a social-media push that Australia needs to take tens of thousands of Syrian refugees (The Greens party was involved), it is our obligation, or we are being inhumane.

Some of these I have been involved with, other seemed baffling at the time, especially if you emerge in the middle and don’t begin at the start with most others. If you do not share and join the cause it is possible to get a sense of the sudden growth and homogeneity of opinions on an issue while an outsider.

It appears that the hypodermic-syringe theory is exactly what is happening, and that it is being supported by all who participate and share these causes along. While it may seem an initially ridiculous notion that messages can be injected directly into the "bloodstream" of the public, and that these message will create uniform thinking, it seems that again and again on social media, that this is  happeninga repeated push for homogeneity in opinion. A suddenly emerging cause of the fortnight, a sudden overflowing of a message or position through social media has led to observable situations where people suddenly believe in what is said, spread the message, argue for it and attack those that are not behind it.

Mob mentality is alive and well on social media and huge groups of people seem to be hit by the new magic bullets of causes and then they espouse them extremely adamantly. Arguments contrary to the new position face hysterical responses, repeated hyperbole and personal attacks and dehumanisation upon those that do not support the cause of the moment.

Social media trends though, are brief. They last until the next trend comes along. We can observe that they run their course, sink back and are replaced with others. The online public's attentions are short-lived. The hypodermic needle model appears to apply quite well to social media, where messages are quickly accepted, believed and transmitted, but what is also odd is the low rate of retention. People do not stick with these causes forever, indeed while they may burn brightly for them and argue passionately, the interest and outrage fades within a few weeks. This is the good news about people's positions suddenly changing to correspond with trends.

In closing, I ask that we all consider what we are sharing and whether we are quickly accepting an opinion or position we just read and do we actually know anything about this latest trend? Are we helping a new trend spread widely, are we aiding temporary fixation and pushing along simplified narratives of complex issues? Are we simply repeating what all our friends are sharing, and are we once again a part of an internet mob?


Further good links:

http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2015/07/outrage-rip-cecil-lion/400037/
Thank you Matt Inglish.
http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2015/09/03/4305281.htm?WT.mc_id=Innovation_Radio-Local-Conversations|JonRonsonPublicShamingInTheDigitalAge_GPP|abc
Thank you Ben Glasgow.

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