The Ostrich Effect in Our Digital Life
Tags: Digital Life, Work Life Balance, Social Media, Psychology

Do you ever feel anxious seeing notifications, messages, or emails as you fear that something is about to go wrong at any moment? Do you tend to accept compliments and good news only than getting informed holistically? Maybe you’re experiencing the ostrich effect.

Do not mix the “good vibes only” and the “ostrich effect” as both foci only on the good news. It is okay that you prefer to hear good news as it boosts your mood, but do not get it wrong because the two phenomena are entirely different.

Ostriches are, fictionally (I’ll explain it later), known for their habit of sticking or even burying their head in the sand when they sense danger. Even though it doesn’t make sense as a defense strategy, it is a good metaphor for some of us who tend to give a similar reaction. Rather than dealing with the problem, it feels good to be in the darkroom. Ignorance is bliss. This article would explain the term and eventually give tips on how to deal with it.

Ostrich effect: Definition, Examples

The ostrich effect is a cognitive bias where we face a circumstance that is upsetting, uncomfortable, or it might challenge us in the way we don’t want to be challenged; we turn away and avoid them. We pretend the problem doesn’t exist.

Inside your head, you think that if you cannot see the danger coming, it will not affect you in any way. It can be about a physical situation (place) or unpleasant information. This behavior impacts the misinterpretations of events while developing forgetfulness.

The opposite of ostrich is the meerkat effect. Whenever a meerkat sees the slightest chance of danger, they will stand up and raise their neck to face it and identify any potential devastating disaster.

The ostrich-effect is also called information aversion, a preference-based fear of news flows, which has significant impacts on data and risk-taking decisions. Overhearing negative news would only prompt them more inattention.

This term is common in behavioral economics. There is an event called the dot-com bubble that is occurred between 1995–2000. It is a stock market bubble caused by excessive speculation of tech companies claimed to have massive growth due to the internet’s extensive adoption. As a result, many investors were excited to invest in any “dot-com” company.

As investment banks profited significantly from the initial public offering (IPO), they fueled the opinion and encouraged investors to invest in technology or internet-related companies. Investors then have enormous confidence that the companies would be profitable. As a result, they overlooked traditional metrics such as the price-earnings ratio and other background analysis — unfortunately, the bubble bursts. Many dot-com companies (Pets.com, Boo.com, Worldcom, NorthPoint, and Global Crossing) failed and shut down in 2002. However, a few survived even after lost a large portion of their capitalization, including Amazon.com and Qualcomm.

Another example of the ostrich effect sometimes, whether you realize it or not, appears in our daily life. Apart from feeling anxious seeing notifications, the act of avoiding seeing household bills, coming to doctors when you feel unwell, prefer not to see your exam’s score until forever can also be a sign of ostrich behaviors.

Digitally-fueled Ostriches

In this digital era, where information is flooding heavily through multiple channels, the intentions to “filter’ information are stronger among the people. Therefore, we need to make sure that we don’t get the info on bias by having the ability to identify our ostrich tendency from the first place.

A study by Ellen Helsper from LSE found that the first generation of digital natives, born between 1983–1989, tends to use ostrich tactics when dealing with unpleasant online experiences. Meanwhile, the second generation of digital natives born between 1990–1995 is doing the opposite of predator tactics as they are willing to analyze and tackle the problem immediately. The first generation tends to look the other way when negative experiences such as SPAM or Viruses attack them. They will make the minimum effort, such as erase it or doing an instant reset.

On the other hand, unlike their predecessor, the second generation of digital natives are more concerned as they troubleshoot the problem thoroughly and prevent it from happening again in the future. However, the difference between ages might be don’t directly affect how they cope with negative experiences when encountered, but not clearly in a way that shows younger generations have more advanced coping strategies. One sure thing is that both digital natives see Digital Immigrants (people born before 1983) had the least knowledge of technology than those natives. Hence, the first generation of digital natives was less likely to rely on others than digital immigrants. Still, the second generation seems not to have ‘inherited’ this denial as they tend to seek other’s support.

How to deal with your inner ostrich?

Data awareness

Having a data-driven mindset and evidence-based decision-making is essential, especially in today’s fast-paced and volatile environment. This mindset would help you smoothen your daily hassle. For instance, by knowing the estimated time needed to travel a distance, you can avoid being late, which would surely bring you to another more significant problem.

Know your rights & obligations

It is a fundamental civic education to know your rights and responsibilities. It is the way how our social system works. Furthermore, to contribute to your community or even the broader society. For example, when you’re about to apply for a service, you must understand the terms and conditions. Once you don’t put the right action in the right place, bear in mind that consequences are waiting for you.

Critical Thinking

Critical thinking and problem-solving is not an instant skill that can be mastered in a night. Instead, it needs a lot of practice, as the difficulties might vary over time. The more you’re dealing with the problem, the more you’ll find it easy to overcome. Problem-solving and critical thinking refers to using knowledge, facts, and data to effectively break down and solve problems. You need to think critically and creatively, use good judgment, and sometimes not be afraid to share thoughts and opinions with your peers or mentors.

The truth to be told

As I promised to explain to you initially, the metaphor is works fictional only because the ostrich does not bury its head in the sand to avoid danger. Despite being a widely-held belief, it is entirely false. Instead, they dig shallow holes in the sand to look for a nest for their eggs. The ostrich can use its beak multiple times to turn the eggs in the nest, creating the illusion of burying its head in the sand. Then, what they do when they’re afraid? They can kick their enemy powerfully.

Looking for the right partner for your digital transformation? Let’s talk or visit Glovory now!

Contributor : Rachmadita Kusumastiti