Post your vaccine selfie — it might encourage others to get the jab
Vaxxies are more than just selfies
In friends we trust
The vaxxie could be a useful tool inencouraging people to get vaccinated. Over the past decade in particular, there has been an erosion of trust in traditional advertising and a huge surge in social media use.
This meansword-of-mouth recommendationsand reviews from people we know (and even people we don’t) are often considered more “authentic” than standard advertising and government messaging.
Research indicates we look to our friends, family, and social groups for guidance duringuncertaintimes. They provide us withsubjective norms: the desire to behave as those who are significant to us think we should.
This results in social pressure to engage in certain behaviors. If our family and friends are posting vaxxies, it’s an implicit nudge for us to get vaccinated too. And as reportedvaccine shortagescontinue and demand grows, seeing vaxxies can also increase ourfear of missing out(FOMO).
In-groups and out-groups
In the same way, one shows support for social movements on social media, sharing a vaxxie communicates your position on vaccinations — you are either pro-vax or anti-vax. Essentially, you are either with us or against us: a hallmark of classic in-group/out-group behavior.
The psychology of the in-group/out-group is best illustrated usingsocial identity theory. This theory states internal cohesion and loyalty to the in-group exists when the group members maintain a state of almost hostility or assertive opposition toward out-groups — which are often perceived as inferior.
This theory explainsspectator behavior at sporting events. As we see more of our friends sharing their vaxxies, we may desire to be a member of the “in-group”. But to be in this group, we need to get a jab (and show evidence with our own vaxxie).
The in-group pressure may be further increased when we see our political leaders or favorite celebrities get involved.US President Joe Biden, Dolly Parton, andSir Ian McKellenare just some of the icons whose vaccinations made headlines.
Risks of virtue signalling
One of the main risks in posting a vaxxie is it could alienate others through virtue signaling, which is when a person behaves in a way that highlights their own “good” moral values. People on Facebook will often loudlyproclaimtheir support for a certain cause because they want to seem caring or “woke”.
But most of us aren’t impressed by those who overtly express their own moral correctness. There’s a fine line between encouraging others to engage in a certain behavior and coming across as self-righteous.
There may also be an element ofmob mentalityat play with vaxxies. Due to excessive pressure from peers, some may find themselves getting vaccinated for emotional (versus rational) reasons. While the pressure to get vaccinated is arguably positive, some individuals may have legitimate concerns which they will suppress in order to conform.
That said, this is not the same as crowd behavior which is often shrouded in anonymity and involves blindly following others. Vaxxies are personal, identifiable messages and are not anti-social.
Another risk with vaxxies is they may encourage “brand” competition. Vaxxie posters regularly include the hashtag of their vaccine: #pfizer or #astrazeneca.
Given the mixed messaging around AstraZeneca, could a proliferation of Pfizer vaxxies discourage people from seeking out AstraZeneca, at a time when we’re encouraged to take whichever option we can
Despite the risks, however, it’s clear we will need a variety of tools to encourage people to get vaccinated during this crucial phase of the pandemic. Vaxxies likely have an important role to play on this front.
And as long as they don’t seek to overtly shame or alienate others, they could help engender a strong sense of solidarity as more and more people get the jab.
Article byLouise Grimmer, Senior Lecturer in Marketing,University of Tasmania;Gary Mortimer, Professor of Marketing and Consumer Behaviour,Queensland University of Technology, andMartin Grimmer, Professor of Marketing,University of Tasmania
This article is republished fromThe Conversationunder a Creative Commons license. Read theoriginal article.
Story byThe Conversation
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