Virtual People

Over 35,000 members and growing rapidly is a facebook group dedicated to the KU upset in the NCAA tournament: Remember when KU choked in the 2010 NCAA Tournament? That was AWESOME. A social media phenomenon and compelling display of convergence theory in the ‘virtual’ space.

I don’t want to get caught up in the KU/MU border war stuff or talk about K-State fans cheering a Kansas loss. I have my opinions, but the discussions don’t go very far. Overall, the primary motivation for the ‘hate’ in the group is that for some reason the KU fan base is collectively seen as ’smug’, ‘arrogant’, and deserving of a humbling loss.

What I do want to discuss is a huge shift. A shift from conversations that typically happen on sports forums where ‘MUfan23′ or ‘KSUcats’ can anonymously post derogatory things about ‘KUfan2008′ (and vice versa). To a new ‘virtual world’ where personal facebook profiles are affiliated with content and groups with the same sentiment. Where a picture of a sad, KU-supporting, child displays the comment, ‘kid gets what he deserves’ from a father pictured with his own child.

These are real names, real people, possibly real professionals. People you work with and potentially consider for employment. It’s a powerful display of ‘virtual’ behavior with neglect for reality. The reality that there are real people on the other end of a hateful comment or classless piece of content. The reality that these actions are on public display with permanent records. Yes, the inter-web remembers.

I assumed the group to be primarily driven by high school and college-aged guys jeering KU in a ‘just for fun’ facebook group. But in reality its a mob-rule ‘hate’ group composed of parents, women, teenagers, and professionals. A fairly clear example of crowd psychology and convergence theory for a couple reasons.

“Convergence theory holds that crowd behavior is not a product of the crowd itself, but is carried into the crowd by particular individuals.”

1) Negative behavior has been on display via internet chat rooms and online forums since they were invented. The primary difference is that this behavior is no longer annonyomous. It only takes a few particular individuals to transition the behavior from anonymous digital platforms to very personal facebook profiles.

“Convergence theory claims that crowd behavior as such is not irrational; rather, people in crowds express existing beliefs and values so that the mob reaction is the rational product of widespread popular feeling.”

2) The existing beliefs and feelings of hate (or rage) were more than likely with the participants for some time. This latent emotion manifested itself through the crowd in what appears to be irrational behavior. And yet, like the definition states, the reaction is a rational product of widespread popular feelings.

These popular feelings of negativity are more than likely a result of history, attitude, and population demographics - another topic of discussion altogether. What we can see is a very clear pattern of real people and ‘virtual people’ being blended. And the participants either don’t see it cause they’re ‘in it’. Or they don’t care and are proud of it. Either way these ‘virtual people’ are part of an interesting behavioral trend that could damage their real-world reputations.