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Does internet sometimes bring the worst out of people?

Dipintus

Dipintus

Member
"Civilized men are more discourteous than savages because they know they can be impolite without having their skulls split, as a general thing."
-The tower of the elephant (1933)

Now apply this line of thought to the net.
No consequences whatsoever for what you say + audience + anonimity = instant jerk
Do you think on the long term this will somehow affect how the future generations relate to each other in real life?

Note: this is just food for thought, I'm not rooting for censorship or anything like that.
 
Mathematician

Mathematician

Reason, and reason again
Definitely. Just look at almost any Youtube comment box and shudder. I know for a fact I've been more boisterous on different forums in the past. I've only recently kept a cap on it.
 
dyanaprajna2011

dyanaprajna2011

Dharmapala
Dipintus said:
"Civilized men are more discourteous than savages because they know they can be impolite without having their skulls split, as a general thing."
-The tower of the elephant (1933)

Now apply this line of thought to the net.
No consequences whatsoever for what you say + audience + anonimity = instant jerk
Do you think on the long term this will somehow affect how the future generations relate to each other in real life?

Note: this is just food for thought, I'm not rooting for censorship or anything like that.
Click to expand...

I've seen people post horrendous things on message boards and forums (not here, thank Buddha), that, I'm willing to bet, these same people would never even come close to saying in real life. There's no consequences, so no reason to keep to keep one's head about them.
 
9-10ths_Penguin

9-10ths_Penguin

1/10 Subway Stalinist
Premium Member
Dipintus said:
"Civilized men are more discourteous than savages because they know they can be impolite without having their skulls split, as a general thing."
-The tower of the elephant (1933)

Now apply this line of thought to the net.
No consequences whatsoever for what you say + audience + anonimity = instant jerk
Do you think on the long term this will somehow affect how the future generations relate to each other in real life?

Note: this is just food for thought, I'm not rooting for censorship or anything like that.
Click to expand...
I disagree with the idea that there are no consequences to bad behaviour online.

There's still a real person on the other end of the internet tube, and your online interaction and relationship with that other person is no less than it would be face-to-face. Yes, you can walk away from an online community fairly easily, but the same is true in real life: if I was a complete jerk in RF, I probably wouldn't be made to feel welcome here. At some club meeting in real life, the same would be true.

If I want to continue interacting with people in either venue, then I have to meet certain standards of behaviour. Yes, I won't be arrested or fined for misbehaving in either one, and I can simply walk away from either one if I so choose, but this is only "no consequences" if we don't value the community and experience we get there. Since people who participate in an online community expend time and effort to do so, I think it's reasonable to assume that they value it to some extent.

Also, I question your assumption about anonymity. Yes, it's completely possible to adopt an online persona that can't be traced back to the name on my government ID, but that online persona is still an identity. Yes, it's one that can be thrown away if you really wanted to, but then you'd have to start from scratch and build up goodwill with other members of the online community. If you value your participation in the community (and again, if you're expending time and effort to do so, it seems logical to assume that you do value it), then this is a cost as well.
 
Songbird

Songbird

She rules her life like a bird in flight
It seems like younger people (teens) are more hostile online, and I think its because they don't grasp the complexities of communication as well, are more self-centered, have less impulse control, and may not grasp that there are real people reading their comments. And they may not grasp how many people can read their comments, because the Internet can feel private.

Of course, this is true of some at any age, but it seems like the most dramatic fights are between youngsters.
 
Revoltingest

Revoltingest

Pragmatic Libertarian
Premium Member
True dat.

I wonder how many bullies here would see themselves as such?
Does moral superiority cause blindness towards one's own abuse?
 
dust1n

dust1n

Zindīq
Well, I mean, at least no ones skull is getting crushed...

Someone being a ***k, or someone crushing my skull... hmmmmm...
 
Draka

Draka

Wonder Woman
Look at just about any comments section attached to any news article. Especially Yahoo news articles. If those comments were said out loud in front of people a lot of people would probably be looking at jail time. Some people really like to poke people with their little imaginary stick and really like to wield it online. Do the same thing in person and that stick will be returned in such a fashion that they don't want it anymore.
 
Father Heathen

Father Heathen

Veteran Member
Draka said:
Look at just about any comments section attached to any news article. Especially Yahoo news articles. If those comments were said out loud in front of people a lot of people would probably be looking at jail time. Some people really like to poke people with their little imaginary stick and really like to wield it online. Do the same thing in person and that stick will be returned in such a fashion that they don't want it anymore.
Click to expand...

I don't see why news sites even allow viewer commentary.
 
Alex_G

Alex_G

Enlightner of the Senses
Dipintus said:
"Civilized men are more discourteous than savages because they know they can be impolite without having their skulls split, as a general thing."
-The tower of the elephant (1933)

Now apply this line of thought to the net.
No consequences whatsoever for what you say + audience + anonimity = instant jerk
Do you think on the long term this will somehow affect how the future generations relate to each other in real life?

Note: this is just food for thought, I'm not rooting for censorship or anything like that.
Click to expand...


I very much agree with you. With the internet and communication technology racing ahead and dominating much of our daily lives, the radical change of environment for human interaction is bound to affect the way we do so, and the dynamics that exist.

I often see the worst of the worst on the internet. From those classic and horrendous YouTube commenters, to FPS gamers called 'slutbanger69' and the like. Even on the forums too you see it in the form of trolls.



I view it similar to the phenomenon of road rage, where not seeing the person face to face disengages us from our normal connections to the people. Not hearing a voice, being able to put a face to the talk, no body language and mannerisms to see, we distant ourselves emotionally from the person there, thus making us much more likely to act in a way devoid of compassion, empathy and the like. I think it supports the quite scientific basis for morality, and its deep connection to our means of communication and our ability to effectively empathise with other living creatures.

Alex
 
not nom

not nom

Well-Known Member
Songbird said:
It's absurd. Some local news sites have started requiring permission from the site before comments get posted, but man, what a job!
Click to expand...

I heard (well, read) the people who have to filter images for sites like myspace get really ****** up by it. and I don't doubt it.
 
Katzpur

Katzpur

Not your average Mormon
Dipintus said:
"Civilized men are more discourteous than savages because they know they can be impolite without having their skulls split, as a general thing."
-The tower of the elephant (1933)

Now apply this line of thought to the net.
No consequences whatsoever for what you say + audience + anonimity = instant jerk
Do you think on the long term this will somehow affect how the future generations relate to each other in real life?

Note: this is just food for thought, I'm not rooting for censorship or anything like that.
Click to expand...
I could not possibly agree more. Most people would not even consider treating others with as much contempt in person as they do online.
 
D

Desert Snake

Veteran Member
It could, yes, though not necessarily. If it's a forum environment it depends on the forum, too, like forums that allow cussing and insults, are completely different from forums that have stricter rules.
 
Shadow Wolf

Shadow Wolf

Certified People sTabber & Business Owner
Yes. Having an anonymous voice does tend to bring out the very worst and absolute nastiest in people. Very easily on any given day certain groups will deal with far more hostility from sites like Youtube than they will in real life.
 
Me Myself

Me Myself

Back to my username
I think I am less rude online because I can delete what I just wrote a sec ago until I send it. Even sometimes like in Rf edit it to make it clearer or correct anything. I would treasure this ability in rl :eek:
 
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