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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsWhy Is Everyone on the Internet So Angry?
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=why-is-everyone-on-the-internet-so-angryWith a presidential campaign, health care and the gun control debate in the news these days, one can't help getting sucked into the flame wars that are Internet comment threads. But psychologists say this addictive form of vitriolic back and forth should be avoided or simply censored by online media outlets because it actually damages society and mental health.
These days, online comments "are extraordinarily aggressive, without resolving anything," said Art Markman, a professor of psychology at the University of Texas at Austin. "At the end of it you can't possibly feel like anybody heard you. Having a strong emotional experience that doesn't resolve itself in any healthy way can't be a good thing."
If it's so unsatisfying and unhealthy, why do we do it?
A perfect storm of factors come together to engender the rudeness and aggression seen in the comments' sections of Web pages, Markman said. First, commenters are often virtually anonymous, and thus, unaccountable for their rudeness. Second, they are at a distance from the target of their anger be it the article they're commenting on or another comment on that article and people tend to antagonize distant abstractions more easily than living, breathing interlocutors. Third, it's easier to be nasty in writing than in speech, hence the now somewhat outmoded practice of leaving angry notes (back when people used paper), Markman said. [Infographic: A Typical Day on the Internet]
taterguy
(29,582 posts)xchrom
(108,903 posts)bemildred
(90,061 posts)Curtland1015
(4,404 posts)The e-warriors of the world say all the racist, bigoted, and/or just plain MEAN things on the internet that they would never DREAM of saying to a person in the same room as them.
It's the new extension of people screaming at you from inside their car.
deutsey
(20,166 posts)as well.
seabeyond
(110,159 posts)ThomThom
(1,486 posts)most people are not pleased with the way things are going
some just don't know who is responsible
and who is lying
Meg_Griffin_1
(49 posts)Good morning America...
ThomThom
(1,486 posts)welcome Meg
KurtNYC
(14,549 posts)Statistically on YouTube there is one comment for every 1000 views. So 999 people did not leave a comment at all.
On DU there are about 1 comment for every 40 page views. So it stands to reason that only those with strong feelings or opinions are motivated to comment. A thread on DU that people disagree with will get more comments than one with which they do. A story about how some DUer overheard or had a clever conversation with a Freeper/RWer/Tea bag gets very few comments but lots of recs.
My theory: People who disagree with the OP, the video or other comments are the ones most likely to comment and their comments are therefore not likely to be gentle. It is the worst on YouTube and the comments seem to be disproportionately from young males.
Le Taz Hot
(22,271 posts)People so entrenched in their belief system that they've wrapped up their egos in them and demonize anyone and anything that goes against that belief system.
It's an amazing and tragic thing to watch. And the thing is -- few on this board or anywhere else will recognize themselves in the article's narrative.
GliderGuider
(21,088 posts)I've made it a part of my daily practice to watch my reactions come up as I read messages on DU, then deliberately step back and see the emotion as just another "thing" appearing in my field of perception. My feelings aren't "me", any more than my fingernails or a fact I learn from a book. This "stepping back" gives the wave of emotion time to roll by, and keeps my fingers off the keyboard long enough that I don't add to the feedback loops.
I have found that over time this has helped me respond to posts with more kindness and empathy rather than anger and self-righteousness, more from compassion than inner pain. It's still a work in progress, but at least I'm seeing progress. Who knew that posting on DU could turn into a self-awareness exercise?
Lint Head
(15,064 posts)When someone accuses me of being angry it makes me angry. Now I need to feed my angry angry Hippo and clean my angry bird cage.
ananda
(28,858 posts)Online comments are to blame for damaging society and mental health?
You know what. This sounds like yet another attempt to deflect blame
from the incessant violence and abusive language young people are
surrounded with as they grow up in order to foster an excuse for
internet tiering and censorship. Ugh.
99Forever
(14,524 posts)I mean beyond your own life? Some of us are dealing with some REALLY tough situations and getting ZERO FUCKING help from a system we worked hard, paid into our entire life. It's a little easier to live happy happy joy joy when you've got a job that affords you hose luxury items like a home, food and medical care. I see Mittens isn't the only one out of touch.