When Ari Fletcher declared herself a “gym girlie,” Twitter acted like she’d invented crunches. One casual tweet spiraled into think-pieces on abs, authenticity, and whether the gym is real or just vibes.

This episode? A cyberpsychology deep dive. We’re talking rage-baiting as influencer cardio, why parasocial judgment feels like a team sport, and how hate-watching turns into emotional CrossFit.

Messy, petty, and a little academic, it’s cyberpsychology with contour.

References

Perceived Authenticity

• Breves, P. L., & Schramm, H. (2022). Perceived authenticity in social media communication: Consequences for influencers and followers. Cyberpsychology. Link

Parasocial Judgment

• Wohn, D. Y., Freeman, G., & Quehl, K. (2022). Parasocial judgment in live streaming: Understanding audience evaluations of streamers. Cyberpsychology. Link

Rage Baiting

• OnPar Therapy NYC. (2023). Rage bait meaning: Understanding the manipulation behind rage-baiting. Link

Emotional Contagion

• Ferrara, E., & Yang, Z. (2022). Measuring emotional contagion in online social networks. Frontiers in Psychology. Link

Self-Presentation

• Fox, J., & Moreland, J. J. (2015). The dark side of social networking sites. Computers in Human Behavior. Link

Impression Management

• Routledge Textbooks. (n.d.). Impression management. In Self-Presentation and Identity Online. Link

Digital Misogyny

• Peris, M. (2025). Digital misogyny: Online abuse and gender inequality in the digital age. Psychology Today. Link

Surveillance Culture

• Manokha, I. (2022). Surveillance culture in digital societies. Cyberpsychology. Link