The Impact of The Culture of Social Media Lynching on Users: A Netnographic Analysis on The X Application

Abstract

Social media, while expanding freedom of expression and social participation, also paves the way for the spread of online violence and hate speech. In Turkey and across the world, individuals and groups with different ethnic, political, ideological, and religious identities are subjected to lynching attempts on social media, which deepens polarization and results in labeling and social exclusion. This study adopts a netnographic design to examine the impact of lynch culture on users’ emotional states and its relationship with depression on the X platform (formerly Twitter). Data were collected from publicly shared posts and responses around lynch-related hashtags/topics and trending events, with all content anonymized in line with ethical principles. The analysis was carried out using thematic content analysis and discourse analysis techniques. Findings were categorized into five clusters: (1) Those avoiding/hating lynching—users emphasized how herd-like repetition of aggressive discourse triggered withdrawal from the platform and self-censorship; (2) Those feeding on lynching—lynching was framed as a source of visibility and emotional arousal, functioning as an attention-seeking practice; (3) Those affected by lynching—experiences of diminished self-esteem, heightened anxiety, sleep problems, a turn toward anonymity, and the narrowing of actual freedom of expression; (4) Counter-defenders—users adopting a normative stance against hate speech, engaging in blocking/exposing practices, and calling for ethical communication; (5) Those seeking/explaining causes—lynching was linked to triggers such as over-interpretation of intent, low tolerance for mistakes, ideological blindness, and weak deterrents. Overall, the results demonstrate that lynch culture is fueled by digital visibility and group identity motivations, increasing depressive moods, stress, and social withdrawal risks among victims while producing fear and normalization effects even among passive audiences.