The virality of personal conflicts as a challenge to upholding digital communication ethics

Abstract

When personal conflicts are publicly disclosed and circulated on social media, they often attract widespread attention and trigger diverse responses from netizens. Which Simultaneously raising ethical concerns regarding privacy, reputation, disclosure of personal matters, and responsibility in digital communication. This study aims to describe the process by which personal conflicts and the ethical violations that emerge in netizens’ comments regarding viral personal conflicts on social media. This study is grounded in the synthesis of Jonah Berger’s Virality theory, Wan Ng’s digital literacy framework, and Immanuel Kant’s ethical philosophy, and examines how emotional triggers on Instagram interact with users' cognitive and socio-emotional capacities to shape online moral boundaries. This study employs a qualitative case study approach, with data collection techniques including interviews and digital observation of several netizens’ comments responding to viral personal conflicts, which generally begin when individuals involved publicly share their issues on social media, which are then amplified by media exposure and netizen participation. These findings show that the escalation of personal conflicts begins when public figures publicly share their personal issues on social media, which are then amplified through media exposure and netizen participation. The main ethical violations identified in netizens' comments include personal attacks, insults, hate speech, disrespect for human dignity, and judgmental remarks. These findings highlight the need to strengthen digital literacy, ethical awareness, and responsible communication practices to promote a healthier digital environment.