Have you ever found a story or post so interesting that you wanted to react, but after a moment of hesitation, you simply scrolled past? Ever wondered why?
Turning something I read into a blog post
Solving the social complexity and thought process is not so easy, but I will use the concepts of personality traits and attitudes to explain.
Some Theory
Personality Traits
Personality traits reflect people’s characteristic patterns of thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. They’re the things that make you you.
- For example, are you outgoing or shy? Do you love trying new things or prefer sticking to what you know?
- You already have some personality traits in you that were unconsciously developed within you.
Attitudes
Attitudes are your feelings or opinions about something. They can change over time. For example, you might have a positive attitude towards chocolate ice cream but a negative attitude towards homework.
The traits influence the formation of attitudes, which bring them into the real world.
Attitude Components
For example, let’s assume the person in you does not like extroverts (the Introversion trait).
Your traits may come out in one or more of the following attitude components:
Cognitive Component 🧠
This refers to the thoughts, beliefs, and knowledge a person has about an object, person, or issue. It’s the thinking part of an attitude.
- “Extroverted people are too loud and overwhelming.”
Affective Component 🙂
This involves the feelings, emotions, and evaluations associated with an attitude object. It’s the emotional aspect of an attitude.
- “I feel annoyed and irritated around extroverted people.”
Conative Component 🚶🏼
This relates to the behavioral tendencies or actions influenced by an attitude. It’s the doing part of an attitude.
- “I tend to avoid social gatherings with a lot of extroverted people.”
These attitudes may sometimes be hidden from you. Yes, you don’t always have full control.
How they are expressed
Overt Attitude: What you show
Imagine you don’t like loud parties. You tell your friends, “I prefer quiet nights in.” This is your overt attitude – what you openly express.
Covert Attitude: What you hide
Feeling anxious about social events but not showing any outward signs of discomfort – the feeling you hide.
Some traits can be completely hidden, even from you. You will never know!
Okay, now you’re ready!
Let’s see why you didn’t react.
Personality Traits
Certain personality traits can influence hesitation to react:
- Introversion: Introverted individuals may prefer to observe rather than engage publicly, leading to hesitation in reacting to posts.
- Conscientiousness: Highly conscientious people might overthink the implications of their reactions, worrying about the appropriateness or consequences.
- Neuroticism: Those high in neuroticism may experience anxiety or second-guess their actions, leading to indecision.
Attitudes
Attitudes towards social media engagement play a significant role:
- Privacy Concerns: Users may have a cautious attitude towards maintaining their privacy and digital footprint, leading to reluctance in public engagement.
- Social Anxiety: Attitudes shaped by social anxiety can cause hesitation in reacting to avoid drawing attention or judgement.
- Perceived Value: Users might question the meaningfulness or impact of their reactions, influencing their decision to engage.
Components of Attitudes
Cognitive Component
This involves the beliefs and thoughts about the social media content:
- Interest: The user finds the story interesting and mentally acknowledges its value.
- Consideration: They think about the potential consequences of reacting, such as how it will be perceived by others.
Affective Component
This involves the emotional response to the content:
- Positive Feelings: The user feels positively towards the story and wants to show appreciation.
- Emotional Conflict: They might also feel anxious or uncertain about the reaction, leading to hesitation.
Behavioural Component
This involves the actions or observable behaviors:
- Initial Action: Moving the finger close to the react button indicates an initial intention to engage.
- Inaction: Ultimately, deciding not to react and moving on shows a change in the behavioural response.
Overt vs. Covert Attitudes
Overt Attitudes
Overt attitudes are those that are openly expressed and observable:
- Visible Inaction: The lack of a reaction (like, comment or share) is the overt behaviour that others can see.
Covert Attitudes
Covert attitudes are internal and not directly observable:
- Internal Interest: The user genuinely finds the content interesting and appreciates it internally.
- Unexpressed Concerns: They might have concerns about privacy, social judgement, or the appropriateness of reacting that they do not express openly.
- Emotional Conflict: The internal struggle between wanting to react and fearing potential consequences remains hidden.
Yes, what we think, what we do, and what we don’t do—everything is complex. Now you have more things to think about before you react to a post next time.
Cheers 🍻!