Deindividuation and its Potential Dangers

Published on: 17 January 2019 Last Updated on: 06 February 2020
Deindividuation

Did you ever come across what is called the ‘mob mentality’? Well, most of us have heard about this, but you’ve probably never heard the actual term that is used to describe this: Deindividuation. Whenever several people are put inside a group, they might tend to lose their identity and behave in ways that are not normal to them. Most often, it is innocent behavior to which people participate but this is not always true. Deindividuation is a rather serious and grave issue for several reasons.

What are self-awareness and individual identity?

Before you get to know what deindividuation is, we first need to understand what it is not. In the easiest form, you are what your identity is and this is what makes you who you are. Your thoughts, beliefs, self-awareness, and behaviors all are results of your identity. As long as self-awareness is concerned, it deals with knowing who you are in accordance with the standards that you’ve set for yourself. You get to know your desires, morals, and character. These are things that make you who you are.

Deindividuation – What is it?

Deindividuation occurs when a person is made a part of the crowd and when he starts losing his individual identity. They gradually tend to lose their own self and forget how they are as an individual. The more the person gets involved within a group, the less awareness he has about his own self. He forgets his characters, morals, and beliefs. These things begin to get replaced through the identity of the group.

The best examples of groups that people think for such type of behavior might include cult, gang and even large mobs. The military is also a great example. You need to remember that all deindividuation is not a bad thing. In the case of military training, people tend to push themselves harder to meet the goals if they weren’t a part of a group. They have incorporated the identity of the group which has made an impact on what they believe they’re capable of.

The potential dangers

What are the negative things that happen to people when they go through deindividuation? Here are a few things:

  • People lose their self-restraint. They tend to get caught in the mentality of the crowd and act in a similar way the crowd is acting.
  • He/she imbibes a sense of anonymity. When a person acts in a way that is similar to the crowd, they feel they can’t be found.
  • There is shared responsibility. When people act in a group, they feel that the responsibility is shared.

So, if you’re someone who is going through deindividuation, you should try your best to get back your lost identity so that you can act according to your own self. Check out for more details on the dangers of deindividuation.

Read Also:

Content Rally wrapped around an online publication where you can publish your own intellectuals. It is a publishing platform designed to make great stories by content creators. This is your era, your place to be online. So come forward share your views, thoughts and ideas via Content Rally.

View all posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related

Support Nonprofit Organizations That Help Save the Environment

Reasons to Support Nonprofit Organizations That Help Save the Environment 

Nonprofit organizations deserve your support. If you have enough time and resources, you should support them. Look for organizations that take steps to save the environment. These are the reasons why your support will go a long way. They have clear goals: Not all groups that protect the environment have the same goals. Some of them focus on animal conservation. Others are about preventing water pollution. You can even find organizations that help train future leaders who will challenge people in authority. Choose whatever is closest to your heart and help in whatever way you can. Look at the mission of these organizations and see how you can be of help. You can start from home: If you don't see yourself helping these organizations yet, you should start from home. Some practices will make you understand the value of environmental protection even more. For instance, you can partner with reputable recycling companies like langleyrecyclingkc.com to dispose of used materials. The items you let go of will be recycled. Considering the many benefits of recycling, you're doing the right thing. Eventually, if you see the value of environmental protection, you will consider supporting these organizations. If you don't want to go alone, convince your friends to be with you. You might know people who share the same concern. There are results: If you believe the steps you take at home bear no results, it's understandable. You can help environmental groups in addition to what you do at home. If you join these organizations, you will see drastic changes. It motivates you to do more since you know that your actions have positive results. It’s a wise use of your time: When you have free time, and you wish to relax, it's good for you. Everyone deserves time to be alone and not worry about anything. However, if you have more time in your hands, use it properly. Taking steps to protect the environment is one of them. It feels satisfying since you're doing something not just for yourself. Environmental protection helps create a better world for the future generation. If you have children, you will understand its value even more. These people volunteer their time and resources: Most people running these nonprofit organizations don't get paid well. They're doing the right thing out of their love for the cause. They're also passionate about protecting the environment. If some of them can devote their entire time and resources to keep the organization going, you can do the same. You don't have to be there full-time, but there are ways to support. Nonprofit organizations succeed because of people who are willing to lend a hand. Besides, there are different ways to lend a hand. If you have enough financial resources, you can donate. If you have skills in promoting the organization, you can use them. Ask these organizations how you can be of help and volunteer whenever you're free. The people running them will appreciate whatever you can offer. Read Also: Why Environmental Air and Noise Monitoring Is Really Worth Families Health Dangers Of Chemical Spills On Humans, Buildings, And Environment

READ MOREDetails
Ways to Help Others and Bring about a Social Change

Four Ways to Help Others and Bring about a Social Change

Social change is the transformation of cultures and institutions through human interactions and relationships. It is an ever-evolving process and has an overwhelming long-term impact on society. Unfortunately, many people and influential forces try to resist change in the status quo. But, change is constant. Three things trigger change: Conflict: Conflict is a constructive force as it prompts required adjustments by indicating the presence of an issue. Inequalities, racism, failure to provide justice, religious intolerance, and status quo give rise to anger and anarchy. People come forward to address the issues raised due to conflicts. Governments get overthrown or restructured because of these conflicts. Demographic Change: Demographic change refers to the transition from high to low birth and death rates. When society’s demographic composition shifts, change becomes inevitable. A larger population affects the quality and quantity of resources. The demographic change occurs either by the variations in birth and death rates or migration and immigration. Cultural Change: Cultural change takes place by adding new elements to the existing culture. It opens up new ways, inventions, discoveries, and ideas of living. Innovation and interaction with other societies also contribute to cultural change. It is essential because it helps in modernization and acceptance of new and better ways of life. Ways to bring Social Change: To bring social change, one must have adequate knowledge and understanding to address societal issues that create differences. It is also fitting to understand the role of social work and workers in the larger scheme of things. If you are interested in contributing, consider enrolling in accredited masters in social work programs to gain skills and create positive change for better well-being. These programs enable students and professionals to learn ways to help in adult mental health, child protective care services, and formulating social policies. With that said, the following are some commonly raised issues to be sorted out to help the ones in need. 1. Increase literacy: Access to primary education is the right of every human. The role of education is significant in healthy and democratic societies. The Social Change model combines learning and community development by teaching literacy skills, cultural expressions, and analytical thinking to the individuals and collective group. Many changes happen in the social sector, but they are unsuccessful in practice because of a lack of education. Thus, education is required to bridge this gap. It is supposed to change people’s attitudes and beliefs and instill a desire for success in them. Education helps in awareness, problem-solving, and decision-making. Increasing access to primary education in poverty-stricken areas has proven beneficial in raising living standards and growing employment opportunities. Thus, social work efforts must focus on expanding opportunities to meet the needs of those who have limited access to quality education with minimal barriers. As an educated individual, consider taking out time to teach others and spread your knowledge. And this brings us to the next point. 2. Volunteer in your community: Volunteering is an act of virtue, per se. Volunteering in your community expands equitability in society. It helps a person learn new skills, enhance connectivity in the community, and advance their career. It provides a sense of achievement and allows one to have self-confidence. We often think volunteering requires a lot of time and energy. But that is not the case. You can dedicate as much or as little of your time as you wish. No matter the differences, volunteerism in your community is always beneficial and gratifying. You can support NGOs and other charitable organizations by volunteering your time. By serving meals, planting trees, tutoring children, or caring for aged and terminally ill patients – you can volunteer in numerous ways. These simple acts can make a profound impact on society. 3. Donate for a cause: People usually look for charitable causes and then give money. It seldom happens that people become desensitized towards such initiatives. However, donations do not necessarily have to come in monetary form. Clothes, shelter, food, books, and even organs are all forms of contribution. Donations allow the donor to have an increased sense of self-worth. Philanthropists worldwide help promote social change by providing funds or advocating reforms. It significantly helps in the efficiency of non-profit organizations. By maximizing the resources available, philanthropy helps in strengthening the economy and encourages social innovation. It helps boost employee morale and customers’ brand loyalty in the long run. 4. Encourage kindness: Acts of kindness and altruism will help you feel good. Small random acts of kindness have a substantial impact on social change. Smiling and greeting people, picking stones from the way, a caring attitude, spreading positivity and hope, and complementing are examples of kind gestures that require little to no effort. One can practice kindness by performing small selfless acts. Consider how you can construct explicit mappings in the world to improve the actions of people around you. People are more likely to support strangers if they previously have been observed acting kindly. It has positive psychological effects on well-being. Helping others not only feels good, but it also has health benefits. Even helping others via donations is an act of kindness. Kindness begins with the ability to empathize with others, to put yourself in their shoes, and understand the challenges they face. Conclusion: COVID-19 has brought disastrous changes to the world. Under the haze of anxiety, fear, we are inundated with tales of compassion, voluntary action, and daily heroism. By helping others, we build a strong society. The pointers mentioned earlier will help you decide how to help others and bring radical changes to the community. Read Also: How Does Smoking Weed Affect The Society Reasons to Support Nonprofit Organizations That Help Save the Environment  Six Main Reasons Why You Need to Care for Environment

READ MOREDetails
Educating A Girl Can Change The World

Educating A Girl Can Change The World: What Leaders Are Saying

You must have heard of names like Malala Yousafzai, Greta Thunberg, and Emma Gonzalez. All of them have strived hard to address issues surrounding the social, economic, environmental, and political world. In recent years, everyone from governments to international organizations has stated how important it is to educate the girl child. Women in positions of importance have demonstrated exemplary levels of skill and expertise. Nancy Etz, a leading name in promoting scholarships for women in educational institutions, has been at the forefront of the issue. In this resource article, we look at how educating a girl can help change the world for the better. Educating A Girl Is Important In Developing Countries Of The World: Population control is an area that is often discussed without much result. Studies have shown that educating women in society helps in increasing the marriageable age and leads to the creation of smaller families. Countries in the Asian and African continents that are struggling when it comes to resources can benefit deeply from measures of population control. This positively affects the health of both the woman and the child and leads to the nation’s economic prosperity. Education paves the way to understanding exploitation and leads to overall emotional development. This can help bring down rates of crime against women and help improve society for the better. Education leads to issues of gender equality being discussed in the public domain. Women’s Education Can Help Improve The Economic Condition And Break The Poverty Cycle: Many data and statistics put out by the UN state that an average year of education helps increase the wage-earning potential of women by over 20%. As compared to men, women who are earning invest more in their households and the upbringing of their children. This also ensures that the economic and financial pressures that are common in households are divided equally. This helps elevate the standard of living, investing in savings and ensuring access to better healthcare facilities. Children born in families with working mothers are likely to benefit from the twin-earning potential of their parents. They can be given a better life, access to high-quality education, and grow up with a family with better values and gender equality. At the end of the day, earning women can play a major role in breaking the cycle of poverty in developing and underdeveloped nations of the world. Educating A Girl Can Contribute To The Overall Economic Prosperity Of A Country: Educated women not only contribute towards their families but also add to the wealth of a nation. Studies show how nations with more working women have a healthier GDP as compared to nations that do not. In simple words, the more women earn, the more they are likely to reinvest their earnings into the nation. This means they will buy things, pay taxes, and invest in saving schemes. All this means that the earning potential of a nation increases. This can lead to the government of the nation spending more on social services, transportation, healthcare, and education. It all makes the nation enjoy a superior position as compared to others in the world of international diplomacy. It also throws up issues like Climate Change, Violence, and Gender Equality into the discussions surrounding a nation. With more active participation from women, these issues become a part of mainstream discourse, and steps can be taken to address them. You Can't Ignore What They Are Saying! While many surveys and research are suggesting the importance of girls’ education, it’s not just them who are loud. Many famous celebrities and global faces have raised their voices in support of educating women. Here are a few examples – There is no greater pillar of stability than a strong, free, and educated woman. – Angelina Jolie If we are going to see real development in the world, then our best investment is WOMEN! – Desmond Tutu As a tribute to the legions of women who navigated the path of fighting for justice before us, we ought to imprint in the supreme law of the land firm principles upholding the rights of women. –Nelson Mandela Young women who want an education will not be stopped. –-Freida Pinto You know, we’re in a sports center. Imagine if you have a team and you don’t let half of the team play. That’s stupid. That makes no sense. And the evidence shows that communities that give their daughters the same opportunities as their sons, they are more peaceful, they are more prosperous, they develop faster, they are more likely to succeed. – Barack Obama Global Initiatives For Women's Education Not just the leaders; it’s a collective global movement, and many initiatives taken at national and global levels are shaping the world of women-education. Here are some worth mentioning initiatives to talk about – Beti Bachao Beti Padhao This is one of the programs in India allowing girls to stop dropping out of school. It’s also for preventing underage marriage of Indian girls. UNICEF This is an international organization working on different campaigns to raise awareness around women's education in India. They are making sure that every girl has the opportunity to learn and go to school. International Day of Girl Child Here’s another awareness campaign that teaches women about their right to education. It aims to make girls aware of their rights and inspires them to be educated. Right to Education Initiative This initiative is to recognize and spread the word about everyone’s equal rights to get an education. The Final Word: No matter where you look, women are rising to positions of prominence. From the New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Arden to corporate honchos like Sheryl Sandberg, women are redefining the world’s political, economic, social, and environmental. Can educating a girl child change the world for the better? A start has been made in the right direction. According to Nancy Etz, a lot still needs to be done and the initiative needs to be taken by parents, partners, and governments the world over. Read Also: Cégep 101: Everything You Need To Know About Quebec’s Education System Guide To The Legal Education In The United States Effective Contribution of Educational Apps  

READ MOREDetails