The digital scarlet letter : online shaming in Singapore.

Abstract

Online shaming is a phenomenon where citizens engage in social policing by shaming transgressions via the Internet. With the widespread use of communication technologies, this form of peer surveillance could potentially serve as a form of social control. Incorporating literature from criminology, psychology and sociology, this three-part exploratory study aims to give an account of why people engage in online shaming (Study 1); who is likely to be deterred and who is likely to contribute content in relation to personality traits, adherence to Asian values and social responsibility (Study 2); and whether it works (Study 3). The in-depth interviews revealed that people engage in online shaming mainly to raise awareness about the lack of civicmindedness in society. Through a survey, it was found that people who are more socially responsible would be more likely to be deterred and also more likely to contribute to online shaming. There was a negative relationship between adherence to Asian values and social responsibility. The field experiment showed that the threat of online shaming did not deter people from deviant behaviours. The implications of the findings are discussed.