Is Social Media a Cult?
A few weeks ago, I realized that I had an extremely unhealthy relationship with social media, most importantly with Twitter. I would get the occasional negative comment, often to something legitimately wrong that I posted, and this comment would make me spiral into a cloud of anxiety and depression. I would feel the stress in my body, causing tightness in my chest and nausea. Even when I didn’t receive push back for saying something, the endless doom and gloom made me feel as if the world was ending. I was also concerned that over time I was losing the ability to think for myself. Instead, I was trying to base my opinions on what the people I followed thought about issues. That is incredibly dangerous.
Indeed, things are pretty much a dumpster fire right now, and staying informed is important. But is staying constantly informed on every single detail of everything that ever happens necessarily? Even more troubling is the fact that this constant bombardment of knowledge can be the way cults and scams lure in unsuspecting new members. Steven Hassan developed a system of evaluating organizations and groups for cult-like tendencies called the BITE model.
This model involves four components: Behavior Control, Information Control, Thought Control, and Emotional Control. Behavior Control includes things like controlling what you can do, asking permission for things, and promoting group thinking against individual thinking. Information Control includes preventing you from consuming outside sources of information, being deceptive, producing propaganda, or engaging in spying behaviors or forced confessions. Thought Control includes things like extreme “us versus them” thinking, purity of thought, rejection of alternative ideas, and a complete rejection of other modes of thought. Emotional Control includes guilting, gaslighting, fear tactics, excessive praise for following the rules, and not allowing any questioning of the leader’s control.
Thinking over this list (which is way more exhaustive than I described) it is scary how many of these tactics are common in the online environment. For a cult to be successful, they have to incorporate all of them at the same time, but many groups incorporate parts of the BITE model. I have personally seen people private message people that someone they are following is “problematic” or require people to stop being friends with that person. I have seen people be sent death treats for minor infractions. Questioning or even ignorance of key points leads to instant cancellation (I don’t really like this term as it has been co-opted by the right to be any kind of criticism or de-platforming no matter how serious and also many of these same people are the worst offenders.) While many of these people are well meaning and trying to do the right thing, it can definitely be co-opted by people who just want to control you.
I don’t think social media is a cult in the traditional sense of the word, but it sure has made cult leaders and organizations have instant access to all of the potential members they could wish for. There are millions of people logged on every single day, and the social media algorithm is ready and willing to provide more content the minute you click on something. Facebook is the worst offender, but all social media platforms run on a similar principle. (Even Medium runs on that principle.) In the old days, cult leaders had to find the money to print up pamphlets or engage in word of mouth organizing. Today, all they have to do is post on their favorite social media platform. The algorithm legitimizes these online sources, spreading them far and wide in a way that would have been impossible a few years ago.
It is important to be suspicious of any type of groupthink, no matter if it is part of a movement you generally support. Even the most well-meaning groups can get co-opted by grifters and cultists. Any group that refuses to be questioned expects unquestioning loyalty or tries to separate you from people outside of that group may be displaying cultish tendencies even if it does not fully align with the definition of a cult. Be leery of any person who tries to tell you how to use social media or insists you need to engage in a certain behavior to be a good person. Be especially leery if this behavior involves money or separation from friends or communities. And remember, just because someone claims they are something on social media doesn’t mean it is real. They could be lying. We have seen people straight up lie and claim they are part of a community they aren’t part of.
Social media is a great way to stay connected to others, but it is also a place ripe for cult leaders and scam artists. Be careful online. Getting out of a cult is not easy. It’s better to avoid it altogether by being as careful as you can to avoid putting yourself into that pain and sadness.
