Time versus timing in social cognition: How concurrent viewer cues and plot-aligned Danmaku affect narrative outcomes on online video platforms

This study explores how temporality affects online video consumption and narrative engagement on online video platforms, focusing on two dimensions—time (concurrent viewer cues, which display the number of viewers who have watched or are currently watching a video) and timing ( Danmaku , on-screen scrolling comments appearing randomly or at crucial plot points). Within the context of online video-sharing social media, we highlight how these temporal features function as socio-psychological cues that shape human behavior in online settings. Drawing on social presence and narrative engagement theories, we conducted two online experiments (N study 1 = 661; N study 2 = 342), manipulating concurrent viewer cues (simultaneous vs. past viewing) and Danmaku timing (plot-aligned vs. random) in narrative videos. Results indicate that displaying past (versus simultaneous) viewer cues and randomly timed (versus plot-aligned) Danmaku comments boost perceived social presence, subsequently fostering viewer engagement. Our findings demonstrate how specific social cues on online video platforms would impact social cognition, narrative involvement, and digital information processing, providing insight into the psychological effects of computer-mediated communication. Our study contributes to theorizing the role of temporality in online video narratives and its impact on viewers’ information-processing mechanisms in digital storytelling. • Addresses temporality’s role in digital narrative information processing. • Explores how time (viewer cues) vs. timing ( Danmaku ) affect viewer engagement. • Past viewer cues enhance social presence more than simultaneous viewing indicators. • Randomly timed Danmaku comments increase engagement more than plot-aligned ones.