Purpose: An online firestorm is a situation where an individual, group, or organization suddenly receives a significant volume of unfavorable reactions on social media. Given the escalating prominence of this phenomenon in the digital age and its extensive impact on brand reputation and organizational stakeholder relationships, this research aims to deeply understand the motivations of participants in online firestorms from their lived experience perspective. The study seeks to address the fundamental question: “What is the essential structure of motivations for participating in online firestorms?” Understanding these motivations elucidates the psychological and social mechanisms of the phenomenon, providing valuable insights for predicting and timely intervention in such crises.



Methodology: Due to the necessity of gathering information from individuals who have experienced this phenomenon, a descriptive phenomenological approach based on Colaizzi’s method was employed for this research. The study population comprised individuals with prior experience of participating in online firestorms on platforms such as LinkedIn, Twitter, and similar social media. Through purposive non-probability sampling, 30 participants were selected who met Colaizzi’s inclusion criteria (direct experience of the phenomenon and ability to articulate it clearly). The primary data collection instrument consisted of in-depth, semi-structured interviews conducted with high flexibility and utilizing exploratory questions.



Findings: Data analysis led to the identification of five overarching themes and eleven sub-clusters for participants’ motivations. These themes include: (1) Psychological and Emotional Motivations (motivation for relief and emotional discharge, empathy and social support, and revenge), (2) Justice-Seeking Motivations (protest motivation, and seeking rights and demands), (3) Positioning Motivations (motivation for power assertion and influencer role-playing), (4) Social Participation Motivations (motivation for identity formation and group belonging, and slacktivism), and (5) Social Impact Motivations (activist motivation, and awareness-raising and information dissemination).



Conclusion: The findings indicate that participation in online firestorms is a dynamic and multi-layered process shaped by a complex chain of evolving motivations. This motivational chain begins with initial emotional reactions such as anger, disappointment, a need for emotional discharge, and empathy. It then progressively transforms into justice-oriented and power-assertion motivations, ultimately culminating in social activism objectives. This transition signifies a transformative shift in participants’ identity from disgruntled consumers to agents of social change. The findings underscore the multi-dimensional and fluid nature of motivations, where a participant may simultaneously experience several conflicting drives, such as revenge and altruism, or power assertion and empathy. This motivational complexity suggests that online firestorms are not merely transient expressions of anger but rather reflections of meaningful and purposeful actions by individuals seeking to restore power balance, achieve justice, and contribute to collective movements. From a practical standpoint, this research provides actionable insights for predicting the dynamics of online firestorms, identifying critical escalation points, designing effective response strategies tailored to dominant participant motivations, and proactively managing brand crises. A deep understanding of these motivations enables organizations to move beyond generic reactions and implement targeted interventions that align with the prevailing motivational type (emotional, justice-seeking, or social).