The article “Inside the funhouse mirror factory: How social media distorts perceptions of norms” by Claire E. Robertson, Kareena S. del Rosario, and Jay J. Van Bavel explores how social media distorts our perceptions of social norms. Although only a small percentage of users contribute toxic content, their impact is disproportionately large:
- 3% of active accounts generate 33% of toxic content.
- 1% of communities are the source of 74% of online conflicts.
- 0.1% of users are responsible for 80% of fake news.
These statistics highlight how a relatively small group of active accounts can give the impression that extreme or toxic views are common. These findings have important implications for understanding behaviour on social media and suggest caution when interpreting content on these platforms.
Source: Current Opinion in Psychology | Journal – ScienceDirect.com
October 2024