DigiPatch: Moving From A Networked To A Patchworked Society: Motivational Underpinnings And Societal Consequences

With the rise in usage of digital media, people now have myriad ways to inform and express themselves and share their opinions with a global audience. This digitalisation of communication leads to new and multiple social ties which, while strengthening democracy, also has a dark side. For instance, digital media has sapped traditional media and hollowed out the “common space” where the vast majority of people used to get their news. Misinformation (whether intentionally false or not) now abounds online and can be targeted to cause maximum impact. Digital media also makes it easier than ever for people to find information that confirms their pre-existing beliefs, and people may use them to bolster their current identities rather than properly informing themselves. As a result, closed (micro)groups may arise with clear identities and strong internal ties, with their own knowledge bubbles, and full internal validation of their ideas and behaviours. Such (micro)groups, based on narrow micro-identities and clear boundaries between us and them, create pockets of self-determining networks, at the expense of society and social cohesion at large. They may also hobble efforts to deal effectively with societal challenges and even undermine democracy itself.

Despite all research on how digitalisation shapes, for example, security and marketing, much less is known about the interaction between psychological needs and digital media use in the social sphere and processes of identity formation and protection. In fact, the role of the socio-cognitive and cultural underpinnings of digitalisation-related phenomena is rarely broached. So, since the role of digital media use in social and cultural transformation is far from being fully described or adequately understood, the main aim of the project is threefold. First, we will investigate how digital media creates conditions for cultural and societal change from a traditionally networked society to a rigidly ‘patchwork’ one. Second, we will find out why this occurs, with a focus on cultural factors and the socio-cognitive processes of individuals. Lastly, we will outline what the potential societal consequences of these processes are.

KEYWORDS:

identities, social cohesion, needs, narrative, network, social conflict, digitalization, media use

CONSORTIUM

  • Project Leader: Małgorzata Kossowska, Jagiellonian University, Department of Philosophy, Institute of Psychology, Poland, e-mail
  • Jesper J. Strömbäck, University of Gothenburg, Department of Journalism, Media and Communication, Sweden, e-mail
  • Ursula Kessels, Freie Universität Berlin, Education Studies and Psychology, Germany, e-mail
  • Manuel Moyano, University of Cordoba, Department of Psychology, Spain, e-mail
  • Ana Guinote, University College London, Experimental Psychology, United Kingdom

COOPERATION PARTERS

Individual:

  • Arie W. Kruglanski, Maryland University
  • Darian Meacham, Maastricht University
  • Ying Yi Hong, Chinese University of Hong Kong

Institutional:

  • German Institute on Radicalization and De-Radicalization Studies, Daniel Koehler
  • Copernicus Science Center, Irena Cieslińska

EFFECTS & ACHIEVEMENTS

Project website

Project achievements:

The DigiPatch project examines how digital media shape our everyday lives and influence who we are and how we relate to others. The internet and social media have opened up vast opportunities for people, allowing them to acquire knowledge, express their views, build relationships, and participate in public debate regardless of where they live. At the same time, however, they encourage the formation of groups with a strong sense of community that often operate within closed circles and are grounded in similar beliefs and values. New forms of identification, known as micro-identities, are also emerging in the digital space. These are typically less stable than traditional social affiliations but are often strongly linked to emotions such as feelings of injustice, frustration, or discontent. Micro-identities can reinforce a sense of isolation, reduce trust in other people and institutions, and deepen social divisions—especially when they become entangled in political conflicts. Research based on the 3N model (Need, Narrative, Network) shows that these processes are driven by three interconnected elements: the need to feel important and recognized, media messages—including conspiratorial narratives—and social networks that strengthen a sense of belonging, often in opposition to others. Experiences of marginalization, loss of significance, and humiliation proved particularly important, as they frequently motivate individuals to seek new forms of community and alternative ways of interpreting reality. The project covered five European countries and employed diverse research methods, ranging from panel studies, experiments to analyses of digital media activity. This made it possible to distinguish six types of micro-identities, differing, among other things, in the strength of group identification and susceptibility to narratives that challenge the dominant social order.

The findings further show that digital media tend to reinforce such identities: they help build a sense of community, but at the same time may increase distance from other groups and distrust toward institutions. Traditional media more often play a stabilizing role by providing shared reference points and supporting social trust. Meanwhile, relying on multiple sources of information can sometimes generate uncertainty and growing skepticism. We also demonstrate that a strong need for significance and the pursuit of influence increase people’s activity on social networks and encourage the spread of anti-mainstream narratives, including disinformation. At the same time, adopting a particular identity whether aligned with dominant views or critical of them, helps many individuals build self-worth and a sense of psychological security. The project’s central conclusion is that micro-identities have become a lasting feature of contemporary societies and one of the key drivers of their growing diversity. In themselves, they do not pose a threat to democracy. The problem arises only when they are used to deepen polarization or undermine trust in institutions. This is why media organizations, opinion leaders, and public institutions play such an important role today. To a large extent, it depends on them whether emerging narratives foster dialogue and social cohesion or instead reinforce divisions.

Publications:

  • Guinote, A., Kossowska, M., Jago, M., Idenekpoma, S., & Biddlestone, M. (2025), Why do people share (mis) information? Power motives in social media, Computers in Human Behavior, 162, 108453, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0747563224003212
  • Lopez Naranjo, F., Maldonado, M. A., Cuadrado, E., & Moyano, M. (2024). Video Games Interventions to Reduce Radicalization and Violent Extremism in Young People: A Systematic Review, Games and Culture, 0(0), https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/15554120231223067?casa_token=DXKN2e1sr1UAAAAA:wwAUxgNDhaynWzOHGTV8S6I6b_4QZLeb6ZdZ_tAzz9epHJp8F2sj_fEtpKv49SB_fEo80Jj_XLNoxA
  • Moyano, M., Lobato, R. M., & Trujillo, H. M. (2024), Social alienation as a bridge between unemployment and support for political violence, Peace and Conflict: Journal of Peace Psychology, 30(3), 299–307, https://doi.org/10.1037/pac0000726
  • Kłodkowski, P., Siewierska-Chmaj, A., Kossowska, M. (2024). Mikrotożsamości i wielkie narracje w polityce, Przegląd Polityczny, 184, https://przegladpolityczny.pl/mikrotozsamosci-i-wielkie-narracje-w-polityce-pp-184-2024/
  • Lobato, R. M., García-Coll, J., Martín-Criado, J. M., & Moyano, M. (2023), Impact of psychological and structural factors on radicalization processes: A multilevel analysis from the 3N model, Psychology of Violence, 13(6), 479–487, https://doi.org/10.1037/vio0000484
  • Kossowska, M., Kłodkowski, P., Siewierska-Chmaj, A. et al. Internet-based micro-identities as a driver of societal disintegration, Humanit Soc Sci Commun 10, 955 (2023), https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-023-02441-z https://www.nature.com/articles/s41599-023-02441-z#citeas
  • Kossowska, M. Kłodkowski, P. Siewierska-Chmaj, A., Dlaczego digitalizacja może stać się przyczyną anarchizacji, Studia Polityczne, 2022, https://czasopisma.isppan.waw.pl/index.php/sp/article/view/1825
  • Moyano, M., Lobato, R. M., Garcia Coll, J., Awadallah, F. H., The role of motivational cultural intelligence as a protective factor against political violence, Psychology, Society & Education, 17, 2025, https://doi.org/10.21071/psye.v17i3.17956
  • Rodríguez, R., Maldonado Herves, M. Á., Moyano, M., Deciphering the incels: A scoping review on empirical research, Aggression and Violent Behavior, 85, 2025, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.avb.2025.102093
  • Rodríguez, R., Maldonado Herves, M. Á., Moyano, M., Gorostizia Cerviño, A., Hidalgo-Tenorio, E., Exploring incel discourse through topic modeling, Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 2025, https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-025-06389-0
  • Kossowska, M., Guinote, A., Jago, M., Idenekpoma, S., Biddlestone, M., Why do people share (mis)information? Power motives in social media, Computers in Human Behavior, 162, 2026, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2024.108453
  • Kossowska, M., Kłodkowski, P., Siewierska, A., (Micro)Identities in Flux, Social Inclusion, 1, 2025
  • Kossowska, M., Melita, D., Gołąb, M., Rodríguez, R., Dragon, P., Andrysiak, A., Moyano, M., Two Sources of Alienation from Society, Social Indicators Research, 180, 2025, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-025-03687-7
  • Guinote, A., Luo, W., Hu, Z., Zhang, J. Z., From Expertise to Audience, Journal of Organizational and End User Computing, 37, 2025, https://doi.org/10.4018/JOEUC.378873
  • Kossowska, M., Guinote, A., Gkinopoulos, T., Moral Liberty Predicts Endorsement of Climate Change Conspiracy Theories, Journal of Environmental Psychology, 2025
  • Guinote, A., Luo, W., Basavaraj, K. A., Political Ideology, Group Entitativity and Preferences for Group Homogeneity, Political Psychology, 2026
  • Kossowska, M., Guinote, A., Luo, W., Basavaraj, K. A., Motivation to Ascend in Social Hierarchies Predicts Conspiratorial Thinking, Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 2026
  • Strömbäck, J., Guinote, A., Melita, D., Theorin, N., Polarized or fragmented?, Media Psychology, 2025
  • Kossowska, M., Kessels, U., Theorin, N., Horozoglu, G., Moyano, M., Basavaraj, K. A., Belongingness in the digital age, Political Psychology, 2025
  • Kessels, U., Horozoglu, G., Siebel, H., How to Explain the German East-West Divide, Frontiers in Sociology, 2025
  • Kossowska, M., Kessels, U., Melita, D., Gołąb, M., Horozoglu, G., Approaching Anti-Mainstream Narratives, Social Psychology, 2026
  • Kossowska, M., Strömbäck, J., Kessels, U., Guinote, A., Melita, D., Dragon, P., Moyano, M., Fractured Loyalties, Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 2025
  • Kossowska, M., Guinote, A., Gołąb, M., Theorin, N., Ozkan, Z., The Pursuit of Significance Across Social and Alternative Media, Journal of Social and Political Psychology, 2026
  • Kossowska, M., Guinote, A., Gołąb, M., Dragon, P., Ozkan, Z., Szumowska, E., Identity Pathways from the Quest for Significance, Social Psychological and Personality Science, 2026
  • Kossowska, M., Kessels, U., Guinote, A., Gołąb, M., Dragon, P., Contu, F., Against the Mainstream, European Journal of Social Psychology, 2025
  • Kossowska, M., Cuadrado, E., Maldonado Herves, M. Á., Moyano, M., Cava Crespo, S., The fragmentation of Spanish identity, Political Psychology, 2026
  • Kossowska, M., Cuadrado, E., Ramírez García, A., Moyano, M., Cava Crespo, S., Sociodigital mapping and identity dynamics in Spain, Dykinson, 2026
  • Kossowska, M., Strömbäck, J., Guinote, A., Gkinopoulos, T., Responding to socio-political challenges, Political Psychology, 2024
  • Kossowska, M., Melita, D., Karakuła, A., Marchlewska, M., Post and Resent, Journal of Social and Political Psychology, 2026
  • Moyano, M., Lobato, R. M., Ramírez García, A., Risk factors prior to the formation of the 17-A terrorist cell, Psychology of Violence, 2025

 Start date

1 November 2022

Project duration

36 months

 Project budget

€ 1 713 113

Funding organisations