What is a shitstorm?
The term “shitstorm” is mainly used colloquially on the internet. It is made up of the words shit and storm and describes a wave of outrage in Germany. Companies and people who have to deal with a shitstorm usually have to withdraw from the public eye or make a statement. A shitstorm can include insults, negative comments or well-founded criticism. After a shitstorm, celebrities or companies often have to win back the trust of fans or customers. This can take some time and is usually associated with changes and compromises. However, it also happens time and again that companies and people do not recover from a shitstorm and activities have to be discontinued because the hate or criticism has become too great.
The word shitstorm is mainly used in connection with influencers or other celebrities on social media platforms. In 2011, the term was even voted Anglicism of the Year . With the emergence of the internet and new platforms, the reach of many artists has also increased. Not all actions are equally supported by all consumers – so a shitstorm with negative comments and insults can quickly arise.
How does a shitstorm manifest itself?
There is a very simple reason why shitstorms mainly take place on the internet. On the internet, every user can hide behind a mostly anonymous profile. The inhibition threshold for writing something vulgar or offensive is much lower here than in real life. Stars, companies and influencers are flooded with a veritable wave of hate speech and often have to withdraw from the public eye until things have calmed down. Many users violate applicable laws by using insults, incitement or bullying in the course of a shitstorm. In some cases, the people affected have already filed criminal charges. A shitstorm can usually be divided into different phases:
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Viewers or regular users point out a problem and criticize in the form of comments. In most cases, the criticism at this stage is still at an acceptable level. Over time, however, the criticism increases and vulgar expressions and insults become more frequent.
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Over time, other users become aware of the problem and the virality of a topic draws the attention of even more people to a grievance. The situation escalates and a veritable wave of criticism and hate follows.
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In the final phase, the hate usually gradually calms down again. Although users can usually still remember the incident, there are often no longer any concrete effects in this phase. The company or celebrity can continue its activities without having to face much criticism.
How can you avoid a shitstorm?
If you want to avoid a shitstorm, you should be careful not to make any controversial statements. It can often be enough to avoid topics where there are many different opinions. However, if a shitstorm does occur, damage reduction can be carried out. Critical and ill-considered posts can be removed to avoid a shitstorm.
How long does a shitstorm last?
How long a shitstorm lasts depends on the topic and its relevance. There is therefore no clear answer to this question. Every shitstorm takes a different course and, with a cleverly placed statement, a wave of outrage can be over again after a short time.
