When a Small Snowflake Becomes an Avalanche
Have you ever witnessed criticism of a particular person or brand rapidly spreading on social media? It might have started as a small complaint from one or two people. But before long, that story is shared by countless others, growing uncontrollably with the wings of hashtags. Just like a small snowflake turning into a massive avalanche. Today, we will talk about this phenomenon—the fierce digital hate storm known as a ‘Shitstorm.’
Hashtags: The Magic That Amplifies the Storm
Originally a Friendly Guide: The Birth of Hashtags
Before we begin, let’s take a brief look at the origin story of the ‘#’ symbol, the hashtag, which is so familiar to us. In 2007, Chris Messina, a Twitter user, was looking for a way to gather posts on specific topics amidst the flood of real-time information on Twitter. He came up with the idea of adding a ‘#’ (hash) symbol before a topic to categorize posts. For example, searching ‘#reading’ would easily find stories about books.
Hashtags were born as a ‘friendly guide’ to help users not get lost in the vast sea of information and as a ‘community room’ connecting people with shared interests. However, when this convenient tool meets a ‘shitstorm,’ it can sometimes turn into a frightening megaphone that carries hate and amplifies anger.
Five Stages of Hate Amplification
So how does an ordinary criticism turn into a massive ‘shitstorm’ riding on hashtags? Let’s examine the process in five stages with concrete examples.
- Stage 1: The Spark Everything starts with a very minor post. For example, a consumer finds a foreign object in a drink at a famous franchise cafe and posts an unpleasant photo and story on social media. At this point, it’s close to a personal complaint.
- Stage 2: Tagging and Building Consensus
Another user who sees this post empathizes with the anger and adds an intuitive hashtag to spread it to more people, like
#OOcafe_Hygiene. Once this ’tag’ is added, the post is ready to become a public issue beyond personal experience. - Stage 3: Gathering of Anger Now the magic begins. People who had similar experiences at the same cafe or who are sensitive to corporate hygiene issues discover the post through the hashtag and start gathering. Comments and shares like ‘I’ve had this happen too’ or ‘This location has issues as well’ explode, turning the hashtag into a gathering place for angry voices.
- Stage 4: Algorithmic Megaphone Social media algorithms are designed to show ‘popular’ content to more people. The hashtag, which quickly accumulates likes, comments, and shares, is detected by the algorithm. It then exposes these posts to feeds of users who originally had no interest in the topic. The hate storm spreads beyond a niche audience to the general public.
- Stage 5: Distortion of Information and Trial by Public Opinion At the storm’s peak, the original fact of ‘foreign object found’ becomes blurred. Unverified rumors (‘That cafe part-timer did it on purpose’), past controversies, and even baseless speculation about the company CEO’s private life cloud the truth. The anonymous crowd gathered under the hashtag begins a ’trial by public opinion,’ throwing stones without fact-checking, and the target loses the chance to explain.
After the Storm Passes
A ‘shitstorm’ is not just an online uproar. After this fierce storm passes, deep wounds and serious problems remain.
Lost Truth, Lingering Stigma
The biggest problem with a ‘shitstorm’ is that ’emotion’ takes precedence over ‘facts.’ The powerful emotion of anger clouds people’s rational judgment. Unverified information and maliciously edited facts spread through hashtags as if they were true. Even if it is later proven false, the stigma of being a ‘bad entity’ is not easily erased. This is clear digital violence that leaves indelible scars on individuals and companies.
The Fear That Anyone Can Become a Target
Today, we live in a world where anyone can be either a perpetrator or a victim of a ‘shitstorm.’ We must remember that a single malicious comment we carelessly post or a shared post without fact-checking can become part of a massive hate storm. This phenomenon fosters distrust and conflict throughout society and even stifles free exchange of opinions.
Advertisement
What We Need Amid the Storm
The digital world’s ‘shitstorm’ may be an unavoidable phenomenon. But we need to develop the strength not to be swept away by it. When faced with provocative hashtags and angry voices, we need the small habit of stepping back and asking, ‘Is this really true?’
I hope we always remember that our fingers can be a warm comfort to someone or a sharp blade to another. Hoping for healthier communication winds to blow through the digital square, I conclude today’s story.