Are you at a cross roads in your life? Are you looking for something more? Are you unsure about your purpose? You could be susceptible to online social media cults. I want to share with you today how you can protect yourself from falling into such groups by explaining why people can join cults, what exactly creates a cult and actions you can take.
I recently have been watching Netflix’s Explained series, in particular the episode on Cults. After watching this episode I noticed that almost all of the behaviours of online social media groups can become cult like. This is a huge problem right now. This reminded me at a point around 5 years ago, whilst I was in local gym near work I was approached by a man who tried to tempt and lure me in to joining a radical group. Rest assured, I swiftly told him to go do one! The man then turned around and tried the same thing with a younger man training beside us. That man began to become interested and was tempted by the man’s soft sell. I didn’t say anything.
On the drive home I regretted not throwing that man out of the gym and said to myself, “never again will I let that happen. Never again will I not do what I believe to be right”. After watching this episode this memory was brought up and I felt compelled to write the blog post. In order to repel cult like groups it’s important to know why you can be enticed into one.
Why can people join cults?
As the Netlfix documentary explains, loneliness is fast perhaps of the world’s biggest problems. People are tribe creatures and need to feel as though they belong somewhere, somewhere where they “believe” they resonate with another person or groups ideas.
This strong feeling of loneliness coupled with an innate desire to be a part of social group can make it easier for those without strong values to people falling into cult like groups.
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What exactly is a cult?
1978, the Jonestown Massacre, was a sad day in human history. It was a day that cult leader Jim Jones led 900 people to commit a mass-murder suicide. This day revolutionise the way people viewed cults. Following from this psychologist explored what cults where and what it took for people to join a cult. According to summary by Explained, there are 7 steps. 7 steps which you might find similar in many social media influencers methods today.
- Step 1: You are at a cross-roads in your life and are in need of belonging
- Step 2: The Cult leader/ influencer will provide a soft sell by providing insights and information
- Step 3: You will be shown a new reality if you following their information and guidance
- Step 4: You will be sold of the leader/ influencer’s personality as your guiding light
- Step 5: The leader/ influencer will make you aware that everyone else is the enemy
- Step 6: Peer pressure of other following will push you towards the ideals of the leader/ influencer
- Step 7: Sociopathic Narcissistic behaviour of the leader/ influencer will sell you on doing everything they say
Now you might find the above steps incredibly similar to how a lot of social media influencers gain a following today. However, the most important distinction here is that cults encourage destructive behaviours and actions. For example:
- You are led to think/ believe negative thoughts you know aren’t right
- You are manipulated into doing things you know aren’t right
- You are sold of giving large amounts of money without any return
This is hugely different to influencers online who are actively providing positive information and knowledge in order to better your life, not harm you or anyone else in a negative way.
What can you do to protect yourself?
Going back to my story when a man in a gym tried to convert me to his following, I knew instantly that everything he said went against my core values and what he was doing was wrong. I also see online hundreds and hundreds of “fake gurus” who are selling courses and plagiarised information to others to get rich quick, or social media forums like 4chan, reddit and twitter when anonymous people can say what they want without ramifications. The manipulation of others infuriates me as people prey on peoples indifferences and needs without any intention of truly helping. So here are steps you can take to protect yourself from online social media:
- Before you proceed, think, is what they are saying the right thing. If not, move on.
- Before you believe, feel, do I truly believe what they are saying. If not, move on.
- Before you pay someone, decide, will I truly see a return on this. If not, move on.
- Before you get emotionally attached, think logical, does this make sense? If not, move on.
- Before you join a group or follow someone, believe, is what this person voice aligned to my values. If not, move on.
Ultimately, the decision is yours, but I urge you to not blindly click, follow and watch. Do your own research. Make your own decisions. I show you how leadership can apply in your life. In this scenario it applies in a very important way. When I was approach by the man in the gym, by being authentic, an essential behaviour of a leader, I was immediately able to know that I was not interested in what he was saying.
Now you might be thinking, well if someone approached me I’d tell them the same thing, but online it’s a lot more subtle. You read one comment, then two then suddenly you’re hooked. You watch one video, then two then suddenly you’re hooked. Before you know it, you’re doing things that you know aren’t right.
Be your own leader. Make your own decisions.
Thank you for reading, JT.
I hope this blog brought you value. Please support my mission by sharing with as many people as you can!
How to reference this page
Toor, J. (2020). How to Protect Yourself from Online Social Media Cults. Available at: https://pmgrowth.co/how-to-protect-yourself-from-online-social-media-cults?
Inspirations
Netflix, Explained (2020).