The Moderating Role of Empathy in the Relationship Between Fanaticism and Cyberbullying Among Adolescent K-pop Fans on Social Media

Abstract

Cyberbullying is an aggressive act committed through the internet that has a negative impact on individuals. This phenomenon is often associated with the fanaticism of K-pop fans towards their idols, as seen in online disputes or fanwar. Empathy, the ability to understand and share the feelings of others, is hypothesized to moderate this relationship. This study aimed to determine the role of empathy in the relationship between fanaticism and cyberbullying behavior tendencies among adolescent K-pop fans. A quantitative method was employed, using Hayes Process Model 1 and quadratic regression analysis on 217 respondents aged 12–23 who were K-pop fans and users of social media platform X. The results showed that empathy significantly moderated the relationship between fanaticism and cyberbullying tendencies among adolescent K-pop fans, with a significant moderation index (int_1) of -2.094 (p < .05). Additionally, both fanaticism and empathy exhibited a curvilinear relationship, collectively accounting for 66% of the variance in cyberbullying behavior. Specifically, fanaticism had a 38.16% larger partial effect on cyberbullying compared to empathy.