Consumers of content fall into two categories active and passive. Passive folks are often given the unflattering name of ‘lurkers.’ Maybe a harsh name for those not wanting to actively participate, but what exactly are they getting up to if they’re not contributing?
So you think ‘that could never be me, I’m not a lurker,’ but ask yourself, are you actively participating on all your social media? Take YouTube for example, it’s participatory experience for many people, but a great majority of users simply watch, they are passive lurkers. I must admit, I am one. I indulge in YouTube a lot, occasionally I scroll down to read a comment, but I seldom participate. Let alone getting my act together to make a video! I’m shocked to reflect I treat Youtube like television, rather than what it is designed for; an interactive community.
The Lurker: fair use via Pexel
Lurking may seem like an insidious term for a not very insidious act, but what about this… What happens when you decide to participate? Once observation becomes unfulfilling members of online communities can become active participants, and with this comes the susceptibility of falling into a ‘parasocial’ relationship. Maybe you’re in one (don’t worry I wont tell anyone) or maybe even someone you know is in one – a parasocial relationship, that is. If you’ve spent anytime with the discourse of Twitter, you’ll at least have some idea of what constitutes a parasocial relationship. To draw a crude picture you could think of it as an imaginary friend for the digital age, but unlike when you were little this imaginary friend is real, and you’re the one that doesn’t exist (to them at least).
The Parasocial relationship: fair use via Pexel
It is easy to get bound in an engagement online that feels ‘two-way.’ Although you may get joy from this exchange, it is good to remember this investment is one-sided. Don’t feel weird about it though, this one-sided relationship is a bond that the most casual participator can form with celebrities, influencers or even with famous dogs. The joy felt and the increasingly ‘face-to-face’ style of interactions on smart devices make this bond is slowly feel more ‘real’.
So what’s better do you think? In a world of extremes, how do we navigate our positions in digital communities? This blog may have been written a little tongue-in-cheek, but it is important to acknowledge and explore the extremes of our positions online.
If you’re interested in reading about other social media and marketing topics checkout my post about eWoM on TikTok and the community on V Live.
For background to this blog post check out these references:
Bronson, E. (2017). The Lurking Class: From Parasocial Postal Clerks to Hypersocial Vloggers. Philosophy and Literature 41(1), 16-30.
Horton, D., & Wohl, R. R. (1956). Mass communication and parasocial interaction: Observations on intimacy at a distance. Psychiatry, 19(3), 215–229.
Heinonen, K. (2011). Consumer activity in social media: Managerial approaches to consumers' social media behavior. Journal of Consumer Behaviour, 10(6), 356–364.
Kim, S, Hwang, SY, & Kim, J. (2021). Factors influencing K-pop artists' success on V live online video platform. Telecommunications Policy, 45(3), 1–13.
Moller, M. (2002). Reclaiming the game: Fandom, community and globalization. Journal of Australian Studies, 26(72), 211–220.
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