Discursive consequences of social media hostility: Chilling effects, avoidance, and intervention behaviors of emerging adults in the U.S. and Indonesia

Author(s)
Jörg Matthes, Phung Quynh Giao Nguyen, Kevin Koban, Rinat Meerson, Maryam Khaleghipour, Daisy Sinéad Garner, Stephanie Bührer, Thomas Kirchmair
Abstract

There is mounting evidence that social media platforms facilitate the dissemination of hostility, potentially yielding detrimental effects on the discursive space. Exposure to such hostilities can be particularly problematic for emerging adults, given this age group's high sensitivity to social validation. Our study investigated how exposure to social media hostility can shape emerging adults' willingness to engage in or avoid social media discussions as well as their direct and indirect interventions. We also explored the moderating roles of prior victimization and online social support. Findings of quota-based surveys in the US and Indonesia suggest that exposure to hostility on social media can foster the willingness to engage in social media discussions and prompt emerging adults to curate their discursive spaces, either by blocking and avoiding hostile others or by counterspeech. Prior experiences of victimization and perceived online social support partly increased these associations, depending on the cultural setting. By and large, our findings demonstrate that emerging adults are active stewards of their social media environment rather than helpless victims.

Organisation(s)
Department of Communication
Journal
Computers in Human Behavior
Volume
171
No. of pages
13
ISSN
0747-5632
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2025.108704
Publication date
05-2025
Peer reviewed
Yes
Austrian Fields of Science 2012
508007 Communication science
Keywords
ASJC Scopus subject areas
Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous), Human-Computer Interaction, General Psychology
Portal url
https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/50e5ea3d-0c00-47e3-8da1-bae2ec5c1e80