Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the dark side of instant messaging from the technological and societal perspectives.

Design/methodology/approach

With the help of literature review and different theories, a model has been developed conceptually. Later the model has been validated using statistical method. The authors have used 304 responses from the survey method, and this sample has been used to statistically validate the conceptual model.

Findings

This paper has been able to explicitly investigate and identify how different instant messaging platforms such as WhatsApp, WeChat in the form of electronic word of mouth (e-WOM) are contributing toward increase of mob lynching cases. The paper also highlights the important to have effective and enforceable regulation to regulate instant messaging services to the citizens.

Research limitations/implications

The findings cannot be generalized as the data is collected from India only. Moreover, the study is cross-sectional in nature. To get the comprehensive results, a longitudinal study needs to be conducted. This study considered seven constructs with one moderator. Having more predictors with other boundary conditions might have increased the explanative power of the model.

Practical implications

Instant messaging platforms such as WhatsApp, WeChat and so on are disseminating quick unverified information to the common people. This information sometimes is disseminated in inappropriate and exaggerated forms. This makes the instant messaging (WhatsApp) users' sentiment readily heated in some cases. They take such an action as mob lynching. This study determines the predictors of mob lynching along with the moderator impact of instant messaging in the society.

Originality/value

There are only a few studies those have explored the dark side of instant messaging. The proposed theoretical model is a unique model, which shows the predictors of mob lynching along with the negative consequences of the instant messaging (WhatsApp) in the society. From this perspective, this study can be considered as a unique study.

中文翻译：

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即时通讯的阴暗面：技术与社会视角的实证调查

目的

本研究的目的是从技术和社会的角度审视即时通讯的阴暗面。

设计/方法/方法

在文献综述和不同理论的帮助下，已经在概念上开发了一个模型。后来，该模型已使用统计方法进行了验证。作者使用了来自调查方法的 304 个回复，并且该样本已用于统计验证概念模型。

发现

本文已经能够明确调查和确定不同的即时通讯平台，如 WhatsApp、电子口碑 (e-WOM) 形式的微信是如何导致暴民私刑案件增加的。该文件还强调了制定有效和可执行的法规来规范向公民提供的即时通讯服务的重要性。

研究限制/影响

由于数据仅从印度收集，因此无法一概而论。此外，该研究本质上是横断面的。为了得到全面的结果，需要进行纵向研究。这项研究考虑了七个结构和一个主持人。拥有更多具有其他边界条件的预测变量可能会增加模型的解释力。

实际影响

WhatsApp、微信等即时通讯平台正在向老百姓快速传播未经证实的信息。这些信息有时会以不恰当和夸大的形式传播。这使得即时通讯 (WhatsApp) 用户的情绪在某些情况下很容易升温。他们采取诸如暴民私刑之类的行动。这项研究确定了暴民私刑的预测因素以及即时消息在社会中的调节影响。

原创性/价值

只有少数研究探索了即时通讯的阴暗面。所提出的理论模型是一个独特的模型，它显示了暴民私刑的预测因素以及即时消息（WhatsApp）在社会中的负面影响。从这个角度来看，这项研究可以被认为是一项独特的研究。