Social media deviance by consumers leads to burnout in social media managers

Why It Matters

Understanding the impact of consumer deviance is crucial for designing effective social media management strategies and support systems. This insight highlights the human cost of managing online communities and informs the development of tools and processes that can mitigate negative effects on personnel.

Key Finding

Consumer misbehaviour online causes significant stress and dissatisfaction for the people managing those platforms, leading to burnout and a desire to leave their jobs.

Key Findings

• Deviant consumer behaviour on social media is a significant factor impacting social media managers.
• This behaviour directly influences role burnout, turnover intentions, workload output, and job satisfaction among social media managers.

Research Evidence

Aim: To explore how deviant consumer behaviour manifests on social media and its impact on social media managers' role outcomes.

Method: Qualitative research using the Critical Incident Technique.

Procedure: Fifteen social media managers were interviewed to gather specific examples and experiences of deviant consumer behaviour and its consequences.

Sample Size: 15 participants

Context: Social media management

Design Principle

Design for the well-being of platform moderators by anticipating and mitigating negative user interactions.

How to Apply

When designing social media strategies or platforms, proactively consider the potential for negative consumer behaviour and build in mechanisms to support the human resources managing these interactions.

Limitations

The study relies on self-reported incidents and perceptions, which may be subject to recall bias. The findings are specific to the interviewed social media managers and may not be generalizable to all contexts.

Student Guide (IB Design Technology)

Simple Explanation: When people behave badly on social media, it makes the jobs of the people running those social media accounts much harder and more stressful.

Why This Matters: This research shows that the design of online interactions has real-world consequences for the people who manage them, influencing their job satisfaction and mental health.

Critical Thinking: To what extent can platform design itself encourage or mitigate deviant consumer behaviour?

IA-Ready Paragraph: This research highlights the significant impact of consumer deviance on social media platforms, directly affecting the well-being and performance of social media managers. Understanding these dynamics is critical for designing more supportive and effective digital environments.

Project Tips

• Consider how user behaviour can impact the well-being of those managing digital interfaces.
• Explore the psychological effects of managing online communities.

How to Use in IA

• Use this research to justify the need for specific features in your design that aim to improve the user experience for social media managers, or to mitigate negative user behaviour.

Examiner Tips

• Demonstrate an understanding of the human factors involved in managing digital platforms, not just the technical aspects.

Independent Variable: Deviant consumer behaviour on social media

Dependent Variable: Social media manager role outcomes (burnout, turnover, workload, satisfaction)

Strengths

• Uses a qualitative approach to capture rich, in-depth experiences.
• Focuses on a specific, often overlooked, aspect of social media management.

Critical Questions

• What are the ethical considerations for social media managers dealing with deviant behaviour?
• How can design interventions proactively address the root causes of deviant consumer behaviour online?

Extended Essay Application

• Investigate the design of moderation tools and their effectiveness in reducing manager burnout.
• Explore the potential for AI in identifying and flagging deviant behaviour to reduce human workload.

Source

Consumer Deviance on Social Media: An Exploration from a Social Media Management Perspective · Queensland University of Technology · 2018 · 10.5204/thesis.eprints.122947