Why are people so aggressive and rude on the internet?

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   PeterStipposted 10 years ago

   Why are people so aggressive and rude on the internet?
   
   On youtube, forums and many social sites people leave comments in a quite aggressive tone.
   Why do people behave in a different way on the internet than in real life ? Or are the people who leave rude comments in real life rude as well ?
   
   

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   JThomp42posted 10 years ago

   I doubt it Peter. They have the comfort of hiding behind a computer screen. More than likely it is those who are so rude who are actually missing something in their lives. If they feel intimidated they can just lash out on the social networks.

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      PeterStipposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Could well be, maybe they don't have any other way to express their feelings and frustrations.

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      JThomp42posted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Exactly Peter.

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   lisavollrathposted 10 years ago

   I think there's less personal accountability on the Internet. Anyone can say anything, without the consequences there might be in a face-to-face exchange. People are able to mask their real identities, and speak anonymously. There's a sense of detachment. We can't see the real human being on the receiving end of whatever we're writing.
   
   I read an article about a woman on Reddit, who found her husband's browsing session open, with some really nasty comments he had written. She confronted him, and he confessed he trolled to blow off steam. He was using Internet anonymity to vent his frustrations about his real life.
   
   When ugly comments come out of nowhere, I think of this story, and how what's being written has had no real provocation or reason. People just write ugly things because they can do so without any accountability.

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      PeterStipposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Yes there's always a reason why people behave the way they do. You can debate surely and enthusiastically but the scolding and trolling is sometimes completely rude without reason

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   dashingscorpioposted 10 years ago

   I think (anonymity) encourages people to say whatever comes to their mind without using any "edit button" or "filter". It's doubtful any of them walks around expressing themselves as rudely as they do via the Internet.
   Nevertheless it reveals their (true) mindset and what is in their heart. Such people no doubt may be co-workers, acquaintances, friends, and even family members whom you'd never guess had this "other side" to them.
   People they know would be shocked to know it's (them).
   The Internet did not invent these people it just provided an avenue for them to come out from under their rocks to spew out their venom.

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      PeterStipposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      The internet has a great amount of freedom of speech and yes this is the negative counterpart of it.

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   Link10103posted 10 years ago

   Never understood the appeal of acting like a completely different person on the web, especially on dating sites.
   
   Honestly I find it too bothersome to try and act like someone I am not. A little embellishment might not hurt, but anything more is basically keeping track of one lie after another.

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      PeterStipposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      True lying is too complicated. With dating sites I can imagine that people are not sure about themselves and fall into the trap of  describing themselves as superman/woman including a top model picture.

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      dashingscorpioposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      PeterStip, When it comes to online dating a lot of people lie because they are in competition to grab attention. People have also been known to embellish their resumes when job hunting. One person's "white lie" is another person's "deal breaker".

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      PeterStipposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      scorpio, a tiny white lie is not really a prob.  I was more thinking about all the negative and aggressive comments you see on the internet. Be it about football,religion or immigrants all in the name of anonymity.

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   jlparkposted 10 years ago

   The lack of personal responsibility for the reactions that their actions cause - it's easy to be nasty and rude when you don't have to see what happens when you are and when you aren't held responsible for any outcome.
   
   Its one of the reasons I'm happy for the cyber bullying laws on countries to hold people responsible for the injuries or deaths of others if they have harassed a person to the end of their rope.

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