Internet Could Be Worsening Our Fear of Small Holes

DON’T ASK –

June 16, 2024 – When some people look at clusters of small holes, like those seen in a lotus seed pod or honeycomb, they are suddenly and inexplicably filled with an unpleasant, skin-crawling feeling. The internet could be feeding this unofficial phobia. There are a series online discussions on ‘trypophobia’…

In a survey of 283 people aged 19 to 22, a team of psychologists at the University of Essex and the University of Suffolk found that a quarter of trypophobic individuals had never heard of the condition, suggesting there really is some aspect of the condition that is innate.

But that doesn’t mean there isn’t an element of peer influence at play, too.

The team also found that survey respondents are more likely to be trypophobic and more sensitive to little holes if they had heard of the condition before.

As many as 64 percent said they discovered the phenomenon on the internet or social media. “Overall, these results suggest that although trypophobia’s wide internet presence may have contributed to the social learning aspect of the phenomenon, this cannot be the sole explanation,” write the researchers.