Why Your Content Gets Scrolled Past: Understanding Audience Psychology in the Digital Age

Contributor

In celebration of World PR Day 2025, EloQ Communications is pleased to reshare this article as a way to promote a spirit of learning and passion for the profession, particularly from the next generation, where fresh perspectives meet real-world experiences in a practice-oriented academic environment. The following piece presents a student’s perspective from the class of Dr. Clāra Ly-Le, Managing Director of EloQ Communications and university lecturer.

People don’t hate advertising, they just hate the feeling of being sold to. In less than one second, the human brain filters out what’s worth stopping for and what deserves to be skipped. When content gives off an overly obvious marketing “scent,” the audience’s natural reaction is to scroll away.

So how can content bypass this psychological defense to avoid being instantly labeled “an ad” and actually capture and hold attention?

1. Communication Psychology in the Age of Information Overload

Communication isn’t just about transmitting signals. It’s about earning permission to enter someone’s mind. This is especially true in an era of content saturation, where audiences have developed sophisticated filters against anything that smells like advertising.

Viewers no longer consume content with a blank slate. Subconsciously, they’re asking:

  • “Is this relevant to me?”
  • “Is this trying to sell me something?”
  • “Can I trust this?”

These micro-evaluations happen within seconds. If content triggers commercial alarms too early, overly promotional visuals, brand mentions, pushy storytelling. It gets filtered out, regardless of its actual value.

2. Key Psychological Mechanisms Shaping Content Reception

To overcome this “mental filter,” content creators must shift from asking “What do I want to say?” to “What does the audience need to feel, hear, or understand?” That includes questions like:

Vì sao nội dung của bạn bị lướt qua? Tâm lý tiếp nhận thông tin trong kỷ nguyên số

“What are they worried about? What emotions are they experiencing? Do they seek guidance or empathy?”

Here’s where communication psychology provides valuable tools:

2.1. Psychological Reactance

When people sense they’re being manipulated or overtly steered (e.g., constant brand mentions, excessive CTAs, “too-perfect” storytelling arcs), they resist to protect their autonomy. This is known as reactance: the harder you push, the more they push back.

2.2. Emotional Thresholds

People don’t respond to facts, they respond to feelings. A polished ad that fails to trigger an emotional connection will likely be forgotten. Emotional relevance isn’t a bonus—it’s a prerequisite.

2.3. Selective Exposure

In a content-saturated feed, people subconsciously gravitate toward what aligns with their own identity, current mindset, or lived experience. This selective exposure means content must match at least one “relevance window” to earn attention.

3. Shifts in Modern Information Consumption

The biggest transformation isn’t in content formats. It’s in how audiences define value.

They no longer wait for information; they judge it. And their evaluation criteria have evolved in three key ways:

  • Authenticity > Polish
     Highly edited, overly branded content often feels inauthentic. Raw, relatable content connects better even if it’s less “professional.”
  • Personalization
     Content must feel tailored to the individual’s story, challenges, or worldview. Generic messaging gets ignored.
  • Low Commercial Tolerance
     Today’s audience is hypersensitive to persuasion tactics. Even subtle sales attempts can cause instant disengagement without a second chance.

4. How to Capture and Sustain Attention in Modern Content Strategy

To avoid being skipped, content must shift from “presenting solutions” to “triggering curiosity and emotion” not by talking about the product, but by talking about the viewer.

4.1. Apply the 80/20 Rule

Spend 80% of the content delivering real value knowledge, insights, empathy, inspiration, or simply relatable entertainment.
 Reserve only 20% for mentioning your brand or product as a supporting role, not the hero.

This builds trust and bypasses psychological defenses: you offer value first, before asking for engagement.

4.2. Trigger Empathy and Emotional Identification

In a saturated media environment, real emotions are the differentiator. Instead of listing facts or features, ask:

  • “Can the viewer see themselves in this story?”
  • “Do they feel understood or represented?”

Moments of everyday fatigue, frustration, or minor triumphs, the universal human experiences are emotional “hooks” that make people pause. Once empathy is activated, your brand earns the right to speak further.

Formats like personal storytelling, user diaries, quotes from real people, or user-generated content (UGC) all strengthen emotional relatability and trigger the “this feels like me” effect.

4.3. Create a Sense of Empowerment

According to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, self-esteem and personal value are now more prominent in consumer behavior, especially among younger Vietnamese audiences. They want to be seen not just as customers, but as individuals with unique voices.

That’s why empowering messages work better than persuasive ones. Instead of saying:

“Our product is the best,”
 say:
 “You’re smart enough to choose what’s right for you.”

The more your content highlights the audience’s agency, the easier it becomes to overcome resistance and drive engagement.

5. A Thought to Reflect On

“Once you’ve captured attention, how do you ethically transition toward conversion and sales?”

That’s the next challenge in designing content journeys, earning trust before earning transactions.

References

Source: Brands Vietnam

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