The Viral Phenomenon of Aldi Taher’s Personal Phone Number: An IPB University Sociologist Calls It a Reflection of Collective Behavior in the Digital Age
The viral spread of public figure Aldi Taher’s personal phone number, which was flooded with messages from netizens, is viewed by IPB University sociologist Dr Ivanovich Agusta as a new form of collective behavior in the digital age.
“This is a characteristic symptom of digital society, where people act spontaneously, quickly, and without formal coordination, triggered by virality on social media,” he explained.
From a classical sociological perspective, he elaborated, collective behavior is often associated with spontaneous actions triggered by shared emotions in a physical space. However, in the digital age, such crowds have transformed into virtual masses, manifesting in a different form, more fluid, rapid, and massive.
He believes this phenomenon is not merely a whim but part of a “digital collective ritual.” Netizens are 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.
Dr Ivanovic also highlighted the social imitation effect introduced by Gabriel Tarde, where individuals tend to mimic popular actions. Additionally, the phenomenon of fear of missing out (FOMO) further reinforces this impulse. Participation, no matter how small, makes a person feel relevant in the public conversation.
He went on to say that this incident highlights the blurring of the line between private and public spaces. Referring to Jürgen Habermas’s ideas on the public sphere, Dr Ivanovich noted that private spaces are now increasingly vulnerable to exposure.
“Personal information, which should be private, is often treated as if it were fair game for the public once it’s been leaked, even though, ethically speaking, that’s not the case,” he emphasized.
He also linked this phenomenon to Erving Goffman’s concepts of “front stage” and “back stage.” In the digital age, the boundary between the two has become blurred, so that a person’s private aspects are often exposed beyond their control.
Anonymity in the digital space further exacerbates the situation. Netizens feel freer to act because they are not directly facing social consequences.
“There is a process of deindividuation, where responsibility feels dispersed. One person may think their action is small, but when done by thousands of people, the impact becomes significant,” he explained.
If this phenomenon continues to recur, Dr Ivanovich warned of the risk of declining social empathy and the normalization of privacy violations. The digital space has the potential to shift into a reactive and sensationalist space, rather than one of healthy discussion.
“This phenomenon serves as a reminder that technology is evolving very rapidly, but our digital ethics may not necessarily keep pace. We need to build empathy literacy, not just technological literacy,” he concluded. (AS) (IAAS/DAM)
