Exploring the impact of internet ugly on social media users using a multi-case study approach

Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Nottingham Ningbo China, Ningbo, 315100, China

^* Corresponding author: hnyhm1@nottingham.edu.cn

Abstract

With the development of social media platforms, a phenomenon called ‘internet ugly’ has emerged on social media platforms. Ugly content is the antithesis of aesthetics, spreading intuitively pompous, strange content that may negatively impact users. Based on the phenomenon of ‘internet ugly’ in several popular social media platforms, the research uses a multiplecase research method to analyze three cases, collecting data on audience sentiment. The study finds that visually ugly online content, whether it is eating or acting ugly, does not have a significant negative impact on users. Even to some extent, it has a considerable positive impact on a large portion of the audience, even though a few users believe that ugly content negatively influences their moods. The importance of this research is that it can help regulators of social media platforms get a better grasp of the developments, even if they adjust their regulatory standards. Additionally, it may also help social media users understand the real purpose of ugly content on the Internet so that they can enjoy a better online environment.