SUCCESS IN THE DIGITAL WORLD
What does it mean?
SUCCESS IN THE DIGITAL WORLD
What does it mean?
SUCCESS IN THE DIGITAL WORLD
What does it mean?
The online offline dichotomy of success
How people in the UK think about success conforms to another modern truism: the conversation looks very different online. While surveys suggest that being nice to others is the key to success, online conversations often focus on themes of jealousy and competition, particularly in the form of "hatedom" where people are trolled by real and fake accounts expressing sarcasm and even hatred. Yet underneath this more confrontational headline, we see common themes emerging across both online and offline worlds.
“The single largest conversation topic around success in our analysis is having haters and impersonators. Often the discussion is around fake accounts and real individuals expressing negative feelings and even hate towards those who are seen as successful.”
Using Ipsos Synthesio, our leading social intelligence platform, we have been able to assess how people in the UK talk about signs of success online. This novel approach immediately uncovers one rather unsettling finding: online, it appears that a clear sign of success is generating more hatred towards yourself. The single largest conversation topic around success in our analysis is having haters and impersonators.
Often the discussion is around fake accounts and real individuals expressing negative feelings and even hate towards those who are seen as successful. One particularly common expression is the creation of fake accounts impersonating individuals who have achieved a certain level of fame or success. The collective noun for this bevy of bots and trolls is “hatedom” - which, despite the negative connotation - is often perceived as a badge of honour by the subject.
This theme also has some fewer negative angles through gaining posterity. Achieving fame – whether it is being recognised, appearing on billboards or on Google, or being referenced as a verb – featured too. Although this contrasts with the survey, where very few people considered being famous as a sign of success. Similarly, happiness and family support, which are important factors of success in the survey, are less prominent in online discussions. However, certain signs of success nonetheless align with both survey data and online conversations.
Online mentions of “making it” reveal the topics people consider as signs of success
One popular indicator is fake accounts on Twitter, but a detailed view below shows which sub-categories, like online videos or happiness, have high volumes.
Autonomy is the ultimate success
An important underlying theme from the social intelligence analysis is personal autonomy in life, expressed through signals such as eating or drinking whatever and whenever you want. This autonomy is considered both the pinnacle and a consequence of achieving success; although success is subjective, and it varies (greatly) among individuals. While some perceive simple pleasures and enjoying time with friends as the epitome of success, others associate it with wealth or a luxurious lifestyle.
Other common items replicated online and offline include expensive household products, iPhones, and first-class travel. Aside from these “achievements”, autonomy is a significant theme underlying success, as it represents the ability to make choices for oneself. Our analysis of online conversations provides valuable insights into how people understand and discuss success online, exposing important contrasts between survey data and online conversations.
There are clearly very different cultural contexts between how people express themselves on social media versus the confines of a survey, not to mention who is expressing themselves through each medium – we know that younger people, who are more likely to be using social media, are also more prone to being jealous of others’ success.
It is likely that the online conversation analysed through Ipsos Synthesio is more authentic and “in the moment”, while also providing a more behavioural angle that can point to early signals and uncover hidden cultural meanings. For instance, it has identified specific actions associated with a sense of personal autonomy and agency that underpins conceptions of success online. Paired with the more measured survey responses, which speak to the deeper-held values people have around success, it provides a more total understanding of what success means in the UK today.
“Personal autonomy in life... is considered both the pinnacle and a consequence of achieving success.”
