Reasons Why Social Media is so Volatile

Over the years I've found that social media was overwhelming and quite triggering for me. I stayed away from it as a consequence because I didn't like being triggered...yet I didn't like being left completely out of the conversation either. No doubt you feel the same way at times.

After years of doing my own inner searching and after having to learn something about analytical psychology, I found a way to make peace with it. I simply realized that there was a non-integrated component of myself; a component that was comprised of archetypal forces that operated beyond my conscious awareness. 

I think there's probably some genetic basis behind these forces - survival mechanisms and so on (Perhaps Professor Gad Saad would have some useful insights to share on that front.) 

Whatever the basis for these psychological elements might be, they are running rampant these days and will continue to do so until we, as a human species, finally recognize our own potentials - both for good and ill - and the innate forces that drive those potentials.

1. The Digital Stage as Archetypal Arena

Social media functions like a global “collective unconscious” brought into the light. Carl Jung spoke of archetypes as universal patterns in the human psyche—symbols, roles, and stories that transcend culture and time. Social media amplifies these archetypes, turning every interaction into a potential drama on a very public stage.

The Hero and the Villain: People often cast themselves (or others) in these roles unconsciously. A simple post can become a call to arms or an indictment of someone else’s perceived failure.

The Trickster: Humor, irony, and memes act as modern-day expressions of the archetypal Trickster, disrupting norms and exposing contradictions.

The Martyr: Posts that highlight suffering or injustice tap into the archetype of the Martyr, often eliciting intense emotional reactions.

When someone’s post activates one of these archetypes in others, it creates a ripple effect—often leading to massive engagement or heated arguments.

2. Projection and the Shadow

Social media is fertile ground for projection. Jung taught that the Shadow represents the parts of ourselves we refuse to see or accept. Online, it’s easy to project our shadows onto others—especially when we reduce people to digital avatars or 280-character posts.

Someone posts an opinion you disagree with? Instead of seeing their humanity, they become the archetypal enemy.

Someone shares their success? It might trigger your inner sense of inadequacy, and they become the archetypal braggart.

Social media posts are volatile because they often act as mirrors to our unconscious projections. The more intense the projection, the more explosive the reaction.

3. The Anonymity Paradox: Masks and Personas

Social media allows people to wear masks—sometimes literally (anonymous accounts) and sometimes symbolically (curated personas). In Jungian terms, these masks represent the Persona, the part of ourselves we present to the world.

The Persona can embolden people to say things they’d never say face-to-face.
Conflict arises when someone’s Persona clashes with another’s reality or when their shadow seeps through the cracks.

This dance between Persona and Shadow can turn even an innocuous post into a battleground.

4. Archetypal Energy and the Collective Unconscious

The collective unconscious doesn’t just hold individual archetypes—it carries collective energy. When a social media post taps into something archetypally charged (e.g., injustice, betrayal, triumph), it activates a kind of collective emotional current.

Think of viral posts as archetypal lightning rods—they draw energy from the collective unconscious and amplify it.

This energy can be constructive (e.g., inspiring positive action) or destructive (e.g., leading to mob mentality).
The archetypal power of certain topics—identity, morality, power—means that posts touching on these themes often trigger disproportionate emotional responses.

5. The Lack of Containment

Traditionally, archetypal energy was contained within rituals, stories, or religious practices—places designed to metabolize that energy safely. Social media lacks this containment.

There’s no ritual closure to an online argument.

No shared space for reconciliation.

Just infinite scrolling and lingering tension.
When archetypal forces are unleashed without containment, they run wild. Social media volatility is, in many ways, the result of this lack of psychological structure.

So What’s Happening Archetypally?

When someone posts on social media, they’re not just sharing content—they’re entering an archetypal landscape. Every like, retweet, or angry comment is part of that mythic drama playing out in real-time.

Posts that “go viral” often resonate with an archetypal theme shared collectively.

Posts that spark outrage are often touching on a collective Shadow.

Social media has become a modern ritual space, but it’s a chaotic one—where archetypal energy is constantly activated without a guide or ritual to contain it.

The Path Forward: Conscious Interaction
If we want to navigate social media more wisely, we need to recognize its archetypal dimensions:

Ask: What archetype is being activated in me right now?
Notice projection: Am I reacting to this post, or to something in myself I’m unwilling to see?

Seek containment: How can I metabolize the emotional energy this interaction stirred up?

In essence, social media is not just a digital tool—it’s an archetypal arena. And like any mythic space, it demands self-awareness, humility, and a willingness to see beyond the mask.