Aldi Taher's Phone Crashes Under 10,000 Messages, Sociologist Highlights Digital FOMO Phenomenon

A sociologist from IPB University, Dr Ivanovich Agusta, has responded to the viral spread of public figure Aldi Taher’s personal phone number, which was inundated with messages from netizens. According to him, this phenomenon represents a new form of collective behaviour in the digital era.

He explains that in classical sociology, collective behaviour is often associated with spontaneous actions triggered by shared emotions in physical spaces. However, in the digital era, such crowds have transformed into virtual masses, which are more fluid, rapid, and massive.

“This is a typical symptom of digital society, where people act spontaneously, quickly, and without formal coordination, triggered by virality on social media,” said Ivanovich in a written statement, quoted on Tuesday (28/4/2026).

He believes that this phenomenon is not merely mischief but part of a digital collective ritual. Netizens are always driven by the desire to participate in viral moments. “There is an illusion of closeness between the public and public figures. Sending messages becomes a way to feel connected,” he said.

Ivanovich also highlighted the effect of social imitation, where individuals tend to mimic popular actions. Additionally, the phenomenon of fear of missing out (FOMO) further strengthens this drive. Participation, no matter how small, makes someone feel relevant in public discourse.

Nevertheless, according to Ivanovich, this incident shows the blurring of boundaries between private and public spaces. Referring to Jürgen Habermas’s thinking on the public sphere, Ivanovich states that private spaces are now increasingly easily exposed.

“A personal number that should be private, when disseminated, is often considered publicly accessible, even though ethically it is not,” he emphasised.