Online Firestorm Phenomena: A Systematic Literature Review (SLR) Research
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This study conducts a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) on the online firestorm phenomenon—a sudden surge of negative word-of-mouth (WoM) on social media directed at a public target. Using the PRISMA 2020 framework, 719 articles were identified from Scopus (2013–2025), of which 30 met the eligibility criteria for final analysis. Findings show that online firestorms are characterized by speed, emotional intensity, and viral amplification, typically triggered by moral or social norm violations. Research interest has grown rapidly since 2020, with most studies published in Q1 journals and dominated by quantitative methods. Six main themes emerged: crisis communication, moral emotions, social norm enforcement, political communication, computational detection, and digital leadership. This review concludes that online firestorms represent both communicative and socio-psychological phenomena, shaped by emotional contagion and algorithmic dynamics. This review provides an integrative understanding of digital outrage and offers practical insights for designing ethical and dialogic strategies to manage online crises in the age of participatory publics.
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