What is it about the internet that makes us such douchebags?

[retyopy]

Oh, come on. We've all thought this. I find it very hard to beleive that people actaully go around cursing and being a genearal cock in real life. So what is it about the internet that emboldens us? What makes us willing to say things we wouldn't? Why does simply being an unknown cause us to throw our nice qualities to the wind?

I, personally, think that we're all just trying to be annoying just once, just to see how it feels, then be all nice and wonderful and great again.

EDIT: Before everyone answers exactly the same thing, yes, I understand that its because of being anonymous, but why should that causes us to throw away our morals?

 

[Kae]

Anonymity, I think it's that simple.

 

[neonsword13-ops]

The ability to say whatever we want, To anybody we want.

Plain and simple.

 

[Draconalis]

People at their core are already douchebags. When they don't have to deal with the consequences of their actions, they are free to be their true selves.

Except with people like me... I'm just a jerk no matter if I'm on the internet or not...

 

[Tesral]

Simple. People don't punch you in the face when you're anonymous behind miles and miles of fiber optic cable, and so people feel the need to throw away any manners or decency that they should have been taught by their parents.

Hopefully science will invent IP address punches and solve this problem.

 

[Setch Dreskar]

Eh I think its more to do with anonymity, since there is no real consequence to being a douche because you are just another screen name on the screen. Much the same was revealed in the book 'Lord of Flies' once they began putting on masks which liberated them from their morals.

 

[TheDragon13]

Anonymity + Crowd + No consequences basically.

 

[spartan231490]

The internet doesn't make us douche-bags, it just lets us act how we really want to without, or almost without, consequences.

 

[BabyRaptor]

Anonymity. There are almost no real, lasting implications to being a dick on the internet. It's only too easy to completely destroy someone's day and then laugh it off and grab a soda.

Some people get their kicks from that kind of thing.

 

[Tesral]

Much the same was revealed in the book 'Lord of Flies' once they began putting on masks which liberated them from their morals.

An excellent analogy, good sir.

At least the Escapist is a gathering of well mannered, similarly minded folk.

 

[retyopy]

Speak for yourself dickface.

On a more serious note...we are all a bastard, deep down. The web just makes it easier to be.

I like to have a more positive veiw people, i.e. that we're all bastards deep down, but even deeper down we are all the grand high unciorn space-kings of happy fun land.

On a side note, your avatar is perfect for this thread.

 

[Unfairestsquid]

Have you ever heard of the greater internet fuckwad theory (regular person + anonymity =totalfuckwad

 

[JochemDude]

No freaking consequences to your actions.

 

[tzimize]

Speak for yourself dickface.

On a more serious note...we are all a bastard, deep down. The web just makes it easier to be.

I like to have a more positive veiw people, i.e. that we're all bastards deep down, but even deeper down we are all the grand high unciorn space-kings of happy fun land.

On a side note, your avatar is perfect for this thread.

I guess it just comes down to your view of the world. My glass is half full. Of sewage.

And thanks, I guess the avatar is pretty fitting yeah. On a side note, I hope you didnt take offense from the dickface comment. It was in jest.

 

[retyopy]

Have you ever heard of the greater internet fuckwad theory (regular person + anonymity =totalfuckwad

What a brilliant formula!

 

[Father Tunde]

It gives people who haven't much power in real life a chance to come across as a big shot, even if it is in pathetic ways like insulting people who play a different series of FPS than you do. It's a good thing we're not all like that.

 

[Varitel]

Really, I think the only thing that makes the internet different from other social outlets is the anonymity. All people have thoughts that they normally wouldn't say, but given anonymity, some of them will say these things as there are almost no consequences.

Edit: Sorry, I should have read the OP's edit. What I think possesses these people to throw away their morals on the internet is the same kind of feelings that possess school bullies to do what they do. It's all about power and some inherent lust for attention. Aside from the anonymity, it is not so much a quality of the internet itself as a quality of the person who is being the so-called douchebag that gets them to act that way.

 

[retyopy]

Speak for yourself dickface.

On a more serious note...we are all a bastard, deep down. The web just makes it easier to be.

I like to have a more positive veiw people, i.e. that we're all bastards deep down, but even deeper down we are all the grand high unciorn space-kings of happy fun land.

On a side note, your avatar is perfect for this thread.

I guess it just comes down to your view of the world. My glass is half full. Of sewage.

And thanks, I guess the avatar is pretty fitting yeah. On a side note, I hope you didnt take offense from the dickface comment. It was in jest.

You know, not everyone on the internet doesn't understand jokes. Only the Vast majority of it.

Oh, and my glass is also half full. Of crystal Meth.