When some people look at clusters of small holes, such as can be seen in a lotus seed pod or honeycomb, they are suddenly and inexplicably filled with unpleasant scratching of the skin. feeling.
It turns out the internet might be feeding this unofficial phobia. A series of experiments has now shown that online discussions about “trypophobia” – or the fear of small holes – could be partly driving the common phenomenon.
In a survey of 283 people aged 19 to 22, a team of psychologists from the University of Essex and the University of Suffolk found that a quarter of trypophobic individuals had never heard of the condition.stinging there is really some aspect of the condition that is innate.
But that doesn’t mean there isn’t an element of peer influence at play.
The team too found that survey respondents were more likely to be trypophobic and sensitive to pinholes if they had previously heard of the condition.
As many as 64 percent said that they discovered the phenomenon on the Internet or social networks.
“Overall, these results suggest that although the widespread Internet presence of trypophobia may have contributed to the social learning aspect of the phenomenon, it cannot be the only explanation,” the researchers write..
That’s not too surprising, the team adds. After all, social learning is a known component of other phobias, such as those of snakes or spiders, “in which one is exposed to the company and sight of certain objects and/or becomes aware of an aversion experienced by a family member.”
However, recent findings suggest that the prevalence of trypophobia may be at least partially influenced by its large presence on the Internet.
Trypophobia is not yet a medically recognized condition. It was the first described in the scientific literature by two psychologists from the University of Essex in 2013, one of whom is also an author of the new paper. However, it seems that the name of the phenomenon actually appeared eight years ago in Internet discussions.
Since that first official paper, hundreds of newspaper articles have been written on the subject, and visual memes now litter the internet.
Today, however, scientists do still torn whether or not trypophobia is a real condition or whether it is”fear multiplied by the internet”, as some have speculated. They can’t even agree on how many people it affects.
In 2013, scientists settled on 15 percent of humans, but in 2023, a large studies in young people in China, they found that trypophobia probably affects 17.6 percent of people.
Psychologist Geoff Cole, who wrote that first paper in 2013, has now led another series of experiments at the University of Essex to better understand the condition. Unlike their previous study, Cole and his team found that trypophobia affects about 10 percent of people.
While it is true that a negative experience with an event or object can trigger a phobia, it is unlikely that people with trypophobia will ever actually be threatened by a cluster of small holes.
Instead, scientists do suggested fear or feeling disgust is an evolutionary remnant. We feel uncomfortable because the pattern resembles infestation by parasites, infectious diseases, or decay—all of which can threaten human health.
“An alternative Internet-driven account of trypophobia is that a person previously unaware of the condition may notice that they are sensitive to holes and then search for information via the Internet,” the researchers describe.
“The Internet will then confirm what one previously suspected.”
This is not to say that social media itself causes trypophobia, but it does suggest that online content makes people aware of feelings that may already exist. This in turn could make them worse.
A few past psychology studies found that even among four- and five-year-olds, trypophobic images caused discomfort, even before the children had had time to become familiar with the Internet.
“Overall,” the Essex researchers conclude, “these data suggest that both social learning and non-social learning contribute to trypophobia.”
The study was published in Experimental Quarterly.