The Spotlight Effect in the Age of Social Media: Redefining Self-Evaluation in the Digital Space

Abstract

The “attention effect” refers to a psychological phenomenon in which individuals tend to overestimate the amount of attention others pay to their actions, appearance, or mistakes. The aim of the present study is to investigate the spotlight effect in the age of social media by focusing on the redefining of self-evaluation in the digital space. Findings indicated that in the digital space, especially online social media, this means that individuals believe that their online posts, comments, or activities are being scrutinized and judged more than they actually are. This heightened self-awareness can lead to reluctance to participate in the social features of online platforms and potentially hinder user engagement. The spotlight effect can be linked to other cognitive biases, such as the illusion of transparency (the belief that others can see one’s thoughts and feelings) and the self-targeting effect (the belief that others think more about one than oneself). Although the spotlight effect is a natural cognitive bias, people can take steps to reduce its impact. This includes reminding them that others are likely focused on their own lives and experiences and focusing on the positive aspects of online interactions.