Audience of social media: mindless scrolling and dissociation
The widespread adoption of social media platforms has significantly reshaped the media landscape, influencing audience behaviors and establishing novel media rituals. One such practice is the habitual consumption of content through extended periods of mindless scrolling, often leading to a dissociative state. This phenomenon raises questions about the applicability of the uses and gratifications theory, particularly in the context of social media. Are contemporary audiences truly aware of their specific needs and desires when seeking out content on these platforms?
According to the uses and gratifications theory, media consumers actively select media content to fulfill their individual wants and needs, often categorizing these motivations into personal identity, information/education, entertainment, and/or social Interaction. A significant portion of users, approximately 38.50%, utilize social media platforms when they have time to kill (SOAX, 2024). However, the algorithmic nature of these platforms complicates the process of discerning one's true desires. The content presented on social media feeds can vary widely, encompassing both trivial and emotionally impactful material, often appearing in close succession. You can see someone joining in a simple food trend in one post and the latest death count update of an international disaster in the following post.
The constant change of media content undoubtedly has consequences for users, including desensitization to violence and serious topics, and it may contribute to the dissociative state often observed during social media consumption. A recent study conducted at the University of Washington explored this phenomenon, describing how users enter a "Dissociative State" while scrolling through social media. When online, dissociation can manifest as zombie-like behaviour, characterized by prolonged, mindless scrolling, unawareness of one's surroundings, and autopilot-like consumption of content without genuine engagement. While seeking escape through deep absorption, including social media, is normal, excessive dissociation can lead to frustration and conflict (Baughan et al., 2022).
Ultimately, the content sought by media users may merely serve as a distraction or background noise. While audiences may initially engage with media to fulfill specific "wants" or "needs," these motivations can easily become secondary to passive consumption. This reflection does not aim to refute the notion that individuals actively choose media content and certainly still has significant limitations. While the uses and gratifications theory emphasizes the active role of media users, the reality may be more complex. The interplay between algorithmic curation, psychological factors, and individual motivations can result in a wide range of engagement levels, from active participation to passive consumption, leading to similarly varying effects of media on audiences.
Referencing:
Baughan, A., Zhang, M. R., Rao, R., Lukoff, K., Schaadhardt, A., Butler, L. D., & Hiniker, A. (2022, April). “I Don’t Even Remember What I Read”: How Design Influences Dissociation on Social Media. In Proceedings of the 2022 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (pp. 1-13).
Baughan, A. (2022, August 5). Why it’s important to think about social media use as a form of dissociation, rather than addiction. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/why-its-important-to-think-about-social-media-use-as-a-form-of-dissociation-rather-than-addiction-185283
Katz, E., Blumler, J. G., & Gurevitch, M. (1973-1974). Uses and gratifications research. Public Opinion Quarterly, 37(4), 509–523. https://doi.org/10.1086/268109
SOAX. (2024, July 22). What’s the average time spent on social media each day? (2024). SOAX. https://soax.com/research/time-spent-on-social-media#:~:text=Research%20highlights%3A%20On%20average%2C%20people,a%20day%20on%20social%20media.
