Why is everyone on the Internet so angry?

[Shadow]

With 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, (http://www.livescience.com/13268-war-history-human-aggression-nuclear-weapons.html)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.

http://bodyodd.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/07/30/13034875-why-is-everyone-on-the-internet-so-angry?lite

[jimnyc]

I think it's natural and normal for people to get things off of their chest, to vent, to let others hear what they are thinking. And it becomes easier for people to do so via the anonymity of the internet, and it's quicker this way too, and more avenues. And we all go to political boards, where we know there will be opposing views, and people are passionate.

And then we wake the following day and do it again.

Oh, and the political atmosphere over the years, and building, and watching the "2 parties" using more and more rhetoric towards each other, makes many emulate their actions.

[darin]

People want to feel special. People want to stand out. "LOOK AT ME! I can be so ANGRY!! VALIDATE ME!" Blame parents, perhaps. The farther people drift from the purpose of their Creator, the more 't3h @ngry!!' happens.</SPAN>

[Tyr-Ziu Saxnot]

People want to feel special. People want to stand out. "LOOK AT ME! I can be so ANGRY!! VALIDATE ME!" Blame parents, perhaps. The farther people drift from the purpose of their Creator, the more 't3h @ngry!!' happens.</SPAN>

I have no doubt that some of that is true. Yet there are as many reasons people post the way they do as there are people IMHO. Expressing emotions is a very natural and healthy thing to do . Being honest about how one feels is best in my opinion. As for rudeness, I play by the rule give as good as you get. Political discussion boards are always going to have people fighting each other with words. Some that can and will ONLY ever fight that way having no ability to do otherwise .
I'll take the honest guy that puts it out there and lets the chips fall where they may anyday over the controlled
poster that posts not their true thoughts but rather a PC type of message SEEKING POPULARITY rather than honest expression of ones thoughts and true feelings.
More power to those than post honestly and with greater self-control too! Some do and some don't.Some post on boards only to jack with other people, thats dishonesty and rude behaviour combined, almost every site has a few .-Tyr

[darin]

I have no doubt that some of that is true. Yet there are as many reasons people post the way they do as there are people IMHO. Expressing emotions is a very natural and healthy thing to do . Being honest about how one feels is best in my opinion. As for rudeness, I play by the rule give as good as you get. Political discussion boards are always going to have people fighting each other with words. Some that can and will ONLY ever fight that way having no ability to do otherwise .
I'll take the honest guy that puts it out there and lets the chips fall where they may anyday over the controlled
poster that posts not their true thoughts but rather a PC type of message SEEKING POPULARITY rather than honest expression of ones thoughts and true feelings.
More power to those than post honestly and with greater self-control too! Some do and some don't.Some post on boards only to jack with other people, thats dishonesty and rude behaviour combined, almost every site has a few .-Tyr

Not always a healthy thing to do - often it's damaging to others.

I play by the rule: I'd rather make a friend than prove a point. People are more important than issues, generally - not always. :)

Cheers!

[Tyr-Ziu Saxnot]

Not always a healthy thing to do - often it's damaging to others.

I play by the rule: I'd rather make a friend than prove a point. People are more important than issues, generally - not always. :)

Cheers!

Thats ok by me . Myself, I'd rather make a friend and prove a point but then again my greed often gets the best of me.;)
I've found that honesty is healthy and gives others a sense of a man's true character. Obviously in being honest ones reveals both one's strengths and one's weaknesses . I'll take anyday an honest guy even if many weaknesses are revealed over a strong guy that I know to be dishonest. For trust in friendship is a must or else their is no true friendship IMHO. I do the same when judging posters on a messageboard and judging their replies.
To each their own , for a man's core principles are to be held firmly and with courageous conviction!
Should I fail in that then Im truly lost.... -Tyr

[Shadow]

People want to feel special. People want to stand out. "LOOK AT ME! I can be so ANGRY!! VALIDATE ME!" Blame parents, perhaps. The farther people drift from the purpose of their Creator, the more 't3h @ngry!!' happens.


I'm going to say the attention whore aspect is pretty accurate. :thumb:

[avatar4321]

Anger is usually a secondary emotion. It usually appears to cover up some other one, usually pain people dont want to deal with.

We have a bunch of people on the internet trying to gratify their pride, particularly in messageboards, (Not necessarily this one but Ive seen it all over elsewhere). Someone says something that hurts their world view, wounds their pride, and then they get angry to cover up the pain of their pride.

Just goes to show that this world needs alot more love than we are currently giving it. There are alot of people out there to serve.

[Anton Chigurh]

Why is everyone on the Internet so angry?Not everyone is.

[Shadow]

I have no doubt that some of that is true. Yet there are as many reasons people post the way they do as there are people IMHO. Expressing emotions is a very natural and healthy thing to do . Being honest about how one feels is best in my opinion. As for rudeness, I play by the rule give as good as you get. Political discussion boards are always going to have people fighting each other with words. Some that can and will ONLY ever fight that way having no ability to do otherwise .
I'll take the honest guy that puts it out there and lets the chips fall where they may anyday over the controlled
poster that posts not their true thoughts but rather a PC type of message SEEKING POPULARITY rather than honest expression of ones thoughts and true feelings.
More power to those than post honestly and with greater self-control too! Some do and some don't.Some post on boards only to jack with other people, thats dishonesty and rude behaviour combined, almost every site has a few .-Tyr

I really don't believe most posters are truly open and honest on message boards. Some are...but in general...they are not (has been my experience). You would think this would be the one place they could be. But I belonged to another board where many would never answer direct questions...even when they asked them of others constantly. It was all about group think too ( go along to get along). Both sides of the isle. Discussions? Mostly scripted...same thing over and over...no substance. To me that is boring.


Anger is usually a secondary emotion. It usually appears to cover up some other one, usually pain people dont want to deal with.

We have a bunch of people on the internet trying to gratify their pride, particularly in messageboards, (Not necessarily this one but Ive seen it all over elsewhere). Someone says something that hurts their world view, wounds their pride, and then they get angry to cover up the pain of their pride.

Just goes to show that this world needs alot more love than we are currently giving it. There are alot of people out there to serve.

Agree with the highlighted. Some use message board popularity to validate their worth and prove something to the masses. Not sure what though.