Social media platforms have a responsibility to regulate content in a way that minimizes harm while preserving the open nature of these platforms.
This qualitative study analyzes social media discussions across three platforms (Twitter, Reddit, and public Telegram groups) from January 2022 to September 2023. Keywords included: “unseen MMS,” “viral video link,” “has anyone seen,” and “DM for video.” A thematic analysis of 500 unique posts (excluding obvious spam bots) was conducted. Three case studies were selected:
Existing scholarship on viral media (Nahon & Hemsley, 2013) emphasizes shareability, emotional arousal (Berger & Milkman, 2012), and network effects. However, these models assume content accessibility. More relevant is the concept of (Blank, 2020), where unverified narratives spread as modern urban legends. The “unseen MMS” functions as a digital ghost story: everyone knows someone who has seen it, but no one can produce the original.
Headlines like "Unseen video of X" trigger an itch in the human brain called epistemic curiosity . The gap between what you know (that a video exists) and what you want to know (its contents) creates a state of deprivation. Social media exploits this gap relentlessly.
After 72 hours, the video is either removed by cyber cells or proven to be a hoax. But the discussion has calcified. People begin referencing the "Unseen MMS" as a cultural touchstone. "Remember that video?" becomes a shorthand for digital trauma, even if 95% of the people discussing it never viewed the actual footage.
: Legal experts clarify that while "liking" a post may not be a crime, "sharing" or "forwarding" constitutes transmission and makes a user legally liable.
Social media platforms, with their vast user bases and algorithms designed to promote engaging content, can spread such videos rapidly. Users share, comment, and react to the content, often without verifying its authenticity or considering the implications of its spread.