Sports Illustrated writer Jeff Pearlman discusses why normal, likable people turn into nasty, hateful monsters whenever they get online. Pearlman acknowledges that he's used to negative comments in his line of work, but after a particularly dreadful experience he decides to find a couple of those people and call them up. Turns out that yes, the people who wrote these vulgar responses are indeed decent human beings who simply got caught up in a moment of anonymity.
This is what I've felt about the Internet for quite some time. I hardly even glance at the comments section of a given website anymore. Youtube is an abyss of endless arguments over entirely unrelated issues, and you'd be hard-pressed to find a balanced opinion following a political article. The sad thing is, we've accepted this. We've become accustomed to "flame wars" and "trolls", even though people would probably never be so hateful if those involved were to meet in person. I'm not particularly thrilled that Pearlman was able to find out a good deal of information on these people through undisclosed means. However, it was telling that the people he contacted poured out apologies and summed up their actions to anonymity and "being in the moment." At the end of the day, it's impossible to find and shame every person we disagree with, even in real life. But by simply making the argument that "yes, there is a human being behind that computer screen", a few of us online can think twice before spouting off in the heat of the moment.
While I understand where this opinion stems from, I cannot help but see the internet in a different light. I firmly believe that many people take the internet a little too seriously. People all over the country have been banned from events, expelled from schools, and even beaten and harassed for posts and comments. To be honest, I have gotten into many rather intense conversations and debates for nothing more then pure entertainment. While I try not to get personal, I can't help but enjoy myself and laugh when people of the internet become completely enraged. The person in this article went so far as to track down the person and confront him. I view this as ridiculously unnecessary and down right creepy; I don't take anything on the internet seriously, because at the end of the day, it would be a complete waste of time.
ReplyDeleteits amazing how much easier it is to say things in text. Its definitely harder to express exactly how you are feeling but its a lot easier to say harsh things to people you never see and will probably never know. Even if you do know the person, your not standing right in front of them. The goal of trolling is to piss off the people that take games and the internet seriously; however, even some of most chill people can become enraged by a "skilled" troller.
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