Peter Gregg, associate professor and chair of the Emerging Media Department at the University of St. Thomas, spoke with the Minnesota Star Tribune about the intense public reactions surrounding controversial social media influencers. Gregg explained that audiences often form strong emotional connections with online personalities because social media creates a sense of intimacy and belonging. He also noted that algorithms can amplify both admiration and backlash, contributing to the rapid swings between online fame and criticism.
From the article:
Three Minnesota influencers recently experienced the fickle nature of internet fame. One day, they were garnering lots of likes. The next, they were crushed under a digital dogpile. ...
To some degree, all three influencers cut through the digital noise and became famous online by distilling complexity and repeating the message, which appeals to our brains’ desire for coherent explanations, said Peter Gregg, associate professor and chair of the Emerging Media Department at the University of St. Thomas.
The psychology of followers’ desire to “know” influencers and feel a sense of belonging also underpins our strong sense of connection, he explained.
“We get that little bit of dopamine, that little bit of happy juice that says, ‘Wow, this person’s really doing great stuff. I can’t wait to see what he does next, because I like him.’ Or ‘I feel like he’s one of us.’ Or ‘I would love to be part of his group,’” Gregg said. ...
Viewers who don’t know these influencers personally are often quick to draw conclusions from incomplete information and pass judgment based more on vibes than facts.
This tendency, Gregg said, again stems from the way social media distorts how we experience reality. Because curated video clips posted online aren’t occurring in real time, and only include the highlights of what happened, that leaves “slippery spaces for our mind to explain, account for, justify the actions that we see,” Gregg said.
