No. #77

Spotlight Effect
- Overestimating Observance

The spotlight effect is the tendency to think that more people notice something about one's appearance or behavior than they actually do. This can impact social media and online platforms where users might overestimate the attention their posts or actions receive.

Read more on Wikipedia

Product example

Users might hesitate to post on a social platform, fearing negative judgment, more than is warranted.

Empathy tips

1

Encourage User Expression

Implement features that encourage expression and reduce fear of judgment.

2

Privacy Controls

Offer robust privacy controls to give users confidence in managing their visibility.

3

Community Support

Foster a supportive community environment to mitigate users' concerns about judgment.

4

User Education

Educate users about the spotlight effect and its impact on social behavior.

Need an empathic partner?

Anna Lundqvist portrait
Anna Lundqvist
UX & AI ethics expert driving better products and smarter teams.
Eddy Salzmann portrait
Eddy Salzmann
Design lead crafting seamless products and mentoring design teams.
Ola Möller portrait
Ola Möller
Facilitator helping organisations see the big picture and take action.