Answering calls for deeper consideration of the relationship between moral panics and emergent media systems, this exploratory article assesses the effects of social media – web-based venues that enable and encourage the production and exchange of user-generated content. Contra claims of their empowering and deflationary consequences, it finds that, on balance, recent technological transformations unleash and intensify collective alarm. Whether generating fear about social change, sharpening social distance, or offering new opportunities for vilifying outsiders, distorting communications, manipulating public opinion, and mobilizing embittered individuals, digital platforms and communications constitute significant targets, facilitators, and instruments of panic production. The conceptual implications of these findings are considered.

中文翻译：

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社交媒体和道德恐慌：评估技术变革对社会反应的影响

这篇探索性文章回答了人们对道德恐慌和新兴媒体系统之间关系的更深层考虑，它评估了社交媒体的效果–基于网络的场所可以启用并鼓励用户生成内容的产生和交换。相反，它们声称它们具有授权和通缩的后果，但总的来说，它发现，最近的技术改造释放并加剧了集体警报。无论是引发对社会变革的恐惧，拉近社会距离，还是提供新的机会来侮辱外人，扭曲交流，操纵公众舆论以及动员陷入困境的人，数字平台和交流都是重要的目标，促进者和恐慌生产工具。考虑了这些发现的概念含义。