Internet May Exacerbate Our Fear of Small Holes, Psychologists Say: ScienceAlert

When some people look at clusters of tiny holes, like those seen in a lotus seed pod or honeycomb, they suddenly and inexplicably fill up with an uncomfortable crawling of the skin. feeling

It turns out that the Internet can feed this unofficial phobia. A series of experiments has now shown that online discussions of ‘trypophobia’ – or the fear of small holes – may be partly driving the common phenomenon.

In a survey of 283 people aged 19 to 22, a team of psychologists at the University of Essex and the University of Suffolk found that a quarter of trypophobic individuals had never heard of the condition, suggeststinging does have an aspect of the condition that is innate.

But that doesn’t mean there isn’t also an element of peer influence at play.

The team too found that survey respondents were more likely to be trypophobic and more sensitive to pinholes if they had heard of the condition before.

About 64 percent said they discovered the phenomenon online or on social media.

“Overall, these results suggest that although the widespread presence of trypophobia on the Internet may have contributed to the social learning aspect of the phenomenon, this cannot be the sole explanation,” the researchers wrote..

That’s not too surprising, the team adds. After all, social learning is a known component of other phobias, such as those of snakes or spiders, “in which a person is exposed to society’s representation and view of certain objects and/or becomes aware of the aversion experienced by a family member”.

But recent findings suggest that the spread of trypophobia may be influenced, at least in part, by its large online presence.

Trypophobia is not yet a medically recognized condition. It was the first DESCRIBED in the scientific literature by two psychologists from the University of Essex in 2013, one of whom is also an author of the new paper. The name for the phenomenon, however, actually appears to have appeared eight years ago in Internet discussions.

Since that first official paper, hundreds of news articles have been written on the subject, and visual memes now fill the Internet.

Today, however, scientists are still torn whether or not trypophobia is a real condition, or whether it is “a fear exacerbated by the Internet“, as some have speculated. They can’t even agree on how many people it affects.

In 2013, scientists put it at 15 percent of people, but by 2023, a STUDY in young people in China found that trypophobia probably affects 17.6 percent of people.

Psychologist Geoff Cole, who wrote that initial 2013 paper, has now led another series of experiments at the University of Essex to better understand the condition. Contrary to their previous study, Cole and his team found that trypophobia affects about 10 percent of people.

While it is true that a negative experience with an event or object can trigger a phobia, it is unlikely that those with trypophobia have ever been threatened by a set of small holes.

Instead, scientists have suggested fear or disgust is an evolutionary remnant. It makes us feel uncomfortable because the pattern resembles parasite infestations, infectious diseases or decomposition – all of which can threaten human health.

“An alternative Internet-driven account of trypophobia is that a person previously unaware of the condition may notice that they are sensitive to holes and then seek information via the Internet,” the researchers describe.

“The Internet then confirms what a person previously suspected.”

This doesn’t mean that social media is driving trypophobia itself, but it does suggest that online content is making people aware of feelings that may already exist. This, in turn, can make them worse.

Some past psychology studies have discovered that even in children 4 and 5 years old, trypophobic images cause discomfort, even before the children have had time to familiarize themselves with the Internet.

“Overall,” the Essex researchers conclude, “these data suggest that both social learning and non-social learning contribute to trypophobia.”

The study was published in Experimental Quarterly Journal.