That said, more than half of surveyed young people admitted to feeling hesitant to share their opinions because of fears of spreading false information. Around a third said they didn’t want others to know their personal information, weren’t sure what the best way to share their thoughts was, and worried about the posts being used against them in the future.
So Nielsen’s 90-9-1 rule still seems to apply to internet users 20 years later. The majority still prefer to be passive social media users, which offers some fascinating insights into human psychology. One of the main traits that experts observe in these silent lurkers is h**h self-awareness.
These people tend to be very conscious of how they present themselves; therefore, they avoid posting something that might be misinterpreted. They are also more likely to be introverted, which means they gain more energy from watching, reflecting, and consuming content rather than contributing to it.
People’s choice to be a silent watcher could be a defense mechanism too, to avoid showing their vulnerability in front of a big crowd and protect themselves from rejection, embarrassment, or misunderstanding.
The last two traits that could be attributed to online lurkers are a reflective and analytical mindset and independence from social validation. They prefer to analyze content, consider different perspectives, and form their own opinions, while their worth and happiness come from within rather than from approval from others.
Hope you enjoyed learning more about what encourages or drives us away from sharing our opinions online. Whether you’re a silent watcher or enthusiastic poster, let us know what you thought about this list, and perhaps check out another one of our articles about ‘White People Twitter’ too.
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