Lhe events that occurred on September 15 in Morocco caused a lot of ink to flow both nationally and internationally. Massive appeals circulated on social networks, prompting many migrants to try to reach Spain by crossing the Mediterranean Sea from Fnideq. If these incidents have raised several questions around the ambitions of a large part of Moroccan youth, inhabited by the ideal of a better future abroad, several experts have focused on an even more complex problem: the manipulation of mass via social networks.
Indeed, in virtual spaces, certain groups exploit the vulnerability and aspirations of young people to promote irregular immigration as a solution to their difficulties. Thus, hundreds of thousands of posts circulated on this subject, often playing on economic or social frustrations, which led to a staggering mobilization.
“The need for acceptance, due to a psyche still under construction, makes young people a vulnerable population because they are easily influenced. Young people, through their identity under construction, are looking for acceptance, validation and to do this, conforming to the social norms displayed is the best way to integrate into a group, to be adopted by a community. , says Ghizlane Ziad, clinical psychologist specializing in clinical pathology and social clinical.
And to continue: “The very functioning of social networks feeds these needs for recognition and belonging. The promotion of image on social networks too often encourages extreme behavior to gain visibility: “dangerous” actions often create a buzz (lots of “likes” and shares). This makes these behaviors even more attractive and narcissistically nourishing, since we can dream of mini-celebrity, recognition, glory, admiration. Everything that the person lacks, the crowd movement sells to him as being possible and easily accessible.
Snowball effect
Can we consider that social pressure on networks encourages young people to engage in actions that they consider risky or harmful? According to the specialist, “the normalization of these actions on social networks creates an erroneous perception of their non-dangerousness. If these actions are presented as common, “normal”, it is logical to think that they are not dangerous. The fear that would normally act as a barrier no longer exists, making these actions even more likely to be repeated. Finally, anonymity (many young people have fake accounts) and the distance that social networks allow (the virtual world is not the real world) lead to disinhibition, which can lead young people to act impulsively without thinking about the consequences of their actions.” Social media can spread inaccurate or biased information about overseas opportunities, creating a distorted perception of the benefits of irregular immigration. This “fake news” can therefore play a role in the formation of crowd movements.
Ghizlane Ziad believes that Social networks are, for many, the primary source of information and often the only one. “There is therefore no question as to the legitimacy of the source of the information nor of the information itself. The speed of circulation of information on social networks prevents any reflection, questioning or criticism of this information,” she explains. And note that “the rapid spread of information amplifies emotions, generating collective reactions that are more intense than they would be at the individual level. There is a snowball effect that can lead to impulsive actions, since the group effect allows an illusion of power as well as a dilution of the feeling of responsibility. Furthermore, these rumors influence individual behavior, pushing people to engage in actions that they would not necessarily have considered on their own.
Out of social conformity, not wanting to be left behind and feeling excluded from a movement that they think is community-based, individuals follow. In the case that concerns us, if a viral video orders young people to participate in a great collective adventure towards a heavenly El Dorado, enthusiasm is almost guaranteed.
Un psychological conflict
EObviously, these movements are not without risks for the mental health of these individuals, and can have long-term psychological consequences. “We can see a psychological conflict appear when the action is experienced (in the aftermath) as being contrary to the moral values of the person (having abandoned their family, for example).
This can result in feelings of guilt, depressive states or even identity confusion. In addition, the return to reality is often very violent because the individual finds himself alone with a feeling of abandonment and emptiness,” underlines the psychologist. In this type of situation, two scenarios are plausible according to Ghizlane Ziad: “either the individual will construct actions in real life that will allow them to gain emotional independence and a feeling of power, or wait for the next wave on social networks to relive this feeling of completeness fleetingly over and over again.