The psychologist spoke about the phenomenon of groupthink

In the age of social media, people are increasingly finding themselves in an information environment where the majority opinion is becoming the measure of truth. Likes, reposts, and comments turn into a kind of "reality barometer," although in fact they often reflect only the collective mood, not objective facts. Psychologist Inna Mirnaya told Izvestia about this on September 6.

"The algorithms of social networks adapt to our interests and beliefs, as a result of which a person gets into the so—called echo chamber - a space where he hears mostly what coincides with his views. This creates the illusion that everyone thinks the same way, which increases self—confidence, but makes it impossible to hear an alternative point of view," she explained.

As a result, critical perception decreases, and constructive dialogue becomes almost impossible.

Likes and supportive comments act as powerful social signals. If a post gathers thousands of reactions, it automatically seems more reliable, even if the information in it is questionable. It is psychologically easier for the human brain to agree with the majority — this saves energy.

Resisting common opinion and analyzing information on your own is much more difficult than succumbing to a collective mindset. This phenomenon is related to the classic "conformism effect," when a person consciously or unconsciously adjusts to a group in order not to stand out and avoid feeling anxious caused by the confrontation.

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In some cases, the specialist clarified, the desire to be "one's own" and get approval leads to the phenomenon of toxic support, when the community begins to encourage destructive or openly dangerous ideas. It can be about the cult of thinness, the justification of violence, or the romanticization of professional burnout. Within the group, such behavior is presented as the norm, and it becomes extremely difficult to resist this pressure.

To preserve critical thinking, the psychologist advises first of all to pay attention to information sources and consciously strive for a variety of views, which is the best prevention of the information bubble. It is also useful to ask yourself the question: "Why do I tend to agree with this statement — because of the facts or because of the number of likes?"

"It is equally important not to be afraid to remain in the minority, because this is often where personal maturity and independence manifest themselves. It is necessary to limit the time spent in the feed, since information overload significantly reduces the ability to analyze soberly," Mirnaya said.

Critical thinking is not about constant denial, but the ability to see where a fact ends and an emotional wave begins. In the modern world, filled with likes and reposts, the ability to think independently becomes not just a useful skill, but a real form of inner freedom, allowing a person not to lose himself in the "noise" of other people's opinions, but to remain the author of his own reality.

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