KOMPAS.com \u2013 The pocong terror that recently unsettled residents of\nCiputat, South Tangerang, is not the first time a mystical issue has\nsurfaced in society. Similar terror incidents have occurred\nrepeatedly.<\/p>\n
Ironically, even though repeatedly proven untrue, the public remains\neasily convinced by such issues.<\/p>\n
Sociologist Rakhmat Hidayat assesses that society today tends to\nreact more quickly to information that triggers emotions than to verify\nfacts.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the digital era, society tends to react more quickly than\nverify,\u201d said Rakhmat when contacted by Kompas.com via WhatsApp, on\nFriday (22\/5\/2026).<\/p>\n
According to him, rumours about pocong or other mystical terror often\ndevelop not because the facts are clear, but because they are reinforced\ntogether through social media and public conversations.<\/p>\n
In sociology, this condition is called \u201csocial amplification\u201d \u2014 a\nprocess whereby information that is small or unclear grows because it is\ncontinuously talked about, recorded, shared on social media, and added\nto by the public.<\/p>\n
\u201cA piece of information that is actually small or unclear but grows\nbecause it is talked about, recorded, and shared on social media,\u201d he\nsaid.<\/p>\n
According to Rakhmat, rumours are easier to believe because they\noperate through emotion, not logic.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom a sociological viewpoint, society is often duped because\nrumours operate through emotion, not logic,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He cites a quiet night atmosphere, reinforced by chain WhatsApp\nmessages and videos with a menacing tone, making people more prone to\nmoral panic.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn such conditions, people tend to follow the group\u2019s reaction\nrather than check facts rationally,\u201d he continued.<\/p>\n
According to him, short videos with dark atmospheres, residents\u2019\nscreams, or frightening narratives are more easily viral because they\ntrigger emotional responses from social media users.<\/p>\n
\u201cShort videos that present a dark atmosphere, residents\u2019 screams, or\nfrightening narratives go viral more easily because they trigger\nemotions,\u201d he said.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/when-emotion-outpaces-verification-why-residents-readily-believe-pocong-terror-1779542018", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }