Humblebragging
Psych 🧠 - 250/300
Reader,
Do you know what “Humblebragging” is? Why is it becoming a big deal?
It is related to the usage of Instagram or social media. Whether your use it or not, this is still a fascinating insight to explore.
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What is it?
Simple google search tells us the definition of the term ‘Humblebragging’ as the action of making an ostensibly modest or self-deprecating statement with the actual intention of drawing attention to something of which one is proud.
Here’s what researchers did as part of this study -
We wanted to see if humblebragging, which is when you kinda brag about something while pretending to complain, has the same issues on Instagram as it does on text-based platforms like Twitter.
In our study with 365 participants, we looked at three ways people show themselves online: humblebragging, straightforward bragging, and just plain complaining.
On Instagram, we found that when people use humblebragging, others tend to see them as unlikable, not very competent, insincere, and maybe a bit narcissistic (the not-so-friendly kind). But oddly, it didn't really change how attractive they seemed to others.
Plus, the humblebraggers didn't get as many "likes" and new followers compared to those who just bragged or complained.
This tells us that humblebragging on Instagram has its own unique issues and helps us understand how people present themselves in pictures on social media.
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What do I need to know?
This research sheds light on how humblebragging influences how people perceive each other and their online behavior on Instagram.
It's valuable for content creators, marketers, and influencers to understand this. They should steer clear of humblebrags and opt for sincere and direct communication to improve their online presence.
Sources (This preprint research paper has not been peer reviewed):
https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4592637