Again, no, studies show that it’s more complicated than that; it’s not just that anonymity lets people be assholes, but that anonymous online interactions cause people to behave differently. There are a lot of theories on why, like that non-verbal communication makes people assume the worst intentions in others, or that typing on an app makes you feel like you’re talking with yourself, but it’s definitely clear that anonymous online interactions don’t just enable negative behavior, they create it.
Again, no, studies show that it’s more complicated than that; it’s not just that anonymity lets people be assholes, but that anonymous online interactions cause people to behave differently. There are a lot of theories on why, like that non-verbal communication makes people assume the worst intentions in others, or that typing on an app makes you feel like you’re talking with yourself, but it’s definitely clear that anonymous online interactions don’t just enable negative behavior, they create it.
People do the same thing when they’re driving because of the pseudo anonymity you have when you’re in a car.
That makes a lot of sense and I never put that together. I wonder if there have been any studies comparing road rage and online hostility.