McVulnerability: When Online Emotion Becomes a Performance

In this episode, Professor RJ Starr is interviewed by graduate student Gabriella Jamison to explore the concept of McVulnerability—a term describing the curated, performative nature of emotional sharing on social media. They discuss how vulnerability, once deeply personal, has become a strategic tool for engagement, how social media rewards emotional expression, and why audiences often struggle to distinguish authenticity from performance. Drawing from psychological theories such as Self-Presentation Theory, Social Comparison Theory, and Reinforcement Theory, this conversation unpacks the hidden dynamics behind the trend. Are influencers and content creators sharing their struggles for connection, or are they being conditioned to commodify their pain? And what does this mean for audiences consuming emotional content daily? Tune in for a thought-provoking discussion on the psychology of vulnerability in the digital age. #Psychology #SocialMedia #Vulnerability #Authenticity #Influencers #MentalHealth #McVulnerability #Parasocial #SelfPresentation #EmotionalWellness #DigitalCulture #OnlineBehavior