Sticks and stones

The internet — what a great and useful tool! It connects people across the world and stores much of the world’s knowledge. Even while the internet is so amazing it does have a downfall, Humans. They are complex and unpredictable creatures that can take advantage of the good qualities of the internet and turn into a back alley tussle. You can see this in an almost comedic chaos of comments on a cake recipe put together in Albert Burneko’s blog post. An eruption of fowl language, political debates and pointing of fingers occurred after one snarky comment, “til they are FROZEN.” But why did this all happen? Can we as humans not control ourselves?

Unfortunately, the numbered cake example is just a light example of human interaction online. It is the tip of the iceberg. Where is the breaking point when the negative bantering turns into something worse? This article from The Telegraph is much too familiar in today’s society, a young man commits suicide due to cyber-bullying. It is so easy for someone to not see others as people while online. You don’t get that emotional feedback as you would in real life. The childhood saying “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me” is false when it comes to online interactions. You can’t run away from online people like you can real life. The PSA below shows how cyber-bullying isn’t as easily defended due to the individualized nature of the internet. Harassing comments come from known people and also strangers. No one is really safe online.

Do you think websites need to moderate better to protect people? Why do people feel that they can lose their murals online?