Coping with online versus offline exclusion: Ostracism context affects individuals’ coping intentions

Abstract

Ostracism (being excluded and ignored), whether experienced online or offline, can profoundly impact individuals' well-being and drive diverse coping strategies. In an era where social media is integral to managing social stress, understanding differences between ostracism experiences online and offline, and how people cope with ostracism afterwards, has never been more relevant. This study explores how the context of an ostracism episode (offline vs. online) shapes preferences for using social media or engaging in face-to-face conversations to restore social connection. Using experience sampling of ostracism experiences over 14 days (N = 323, k = 853 ostracism incidents), participants reported instances of feeling ostracized and their subsequent immediate coping intentions. Results showed that participants were more likely to use social media after being ostracized online than offline, supporting a context-stability approach to coping with online ostracism. However, there was no significant difference in the intention to engage in face-to-face conversations following either online or offline ostracism. Moderators such as extraversion and phone escapism (i.e., using one's phone as a means of distraction or avoidance) did not influence the association between ostracism context and coping intentions. Insights from this study can inform how individuals manage ostracism across digital and face-to-face interactions, offering a nuanced understanding of adaptive strategies that can shape interventions for digital well-being and resilience in the face of social exclusion.