No Comments (from You): Understanding the Interpersonal and Professional Consequences of Disabling Social Media Comments

Abstract

Presumably to reduce cyberbullying and promote mental health, online influencers often limit viewers’ ability to post social media comments. In this research, the authors find that influencers incur significant interpersonal and professional repercussions for doing so. Across seven studies, including a Twitter dataset and six experiments utilizing both consequential and hypothetical dependent measures, the authors find that consumers form more negative impressions of and are less persuaded by influencers who disable social media comments. These outcomes are driven by the perception that the influencer is less receptive to consumer voice (e.g., consumers’ thoughts, opinions, and suggestions) and, thus, less sincere. However, the authors find that this effect is mitigated in situations where consumers believe that it is reasonable for influencers to prioritize self-protection.