Why is the Internet so mean?

Anyone surfing the net and reading the comments on news sites or Facebook and the like often encounters frustration, sarcasm and even hatred. Why is there such a harsh tone on social networks? What should we bear in mind?

Canadian Amanda Todd's despair seemed to have become too great. She took her own life at the age of just fifteen. Three years earlier, she had started socialising and chatting on the internet. A chat partner asked her to show him her breasts on camera.
In her youthful naivety, she did so, the chat partner took screenshots and began to blackmail her. When Amanda didn't respond, he sent the pictures to her circle of friends and acquaintances. Her circle distanced themselves from her. Cyberbullying ensued until Amanda saw no way out.

Don't look me in the eye, little one!

Forums and chats on the internet often have a different tone to those in real life. What could be a platform for the democratic expression of opinions often turns out to be a breeding ground for inflammatory and defamatory comments. News sites react to this by preventing anonymous posts, only allowing the comment function at certain times or blocking it completely for certain articles. Why is there such an aggressive tone in forums and chats?
«It's easier to insult someone on the internet because you're not directly confronted with the person, the internet is relatively anonymous and everything happens very quickly,» says Annina Grob, Head of Politics at the Swiss Association of Youth Organisations (SAJV). Important communication factors are missing on the internet or in WhatsApp chats: gestures, facial expressions, tone of voice and, above all, eye contact.
In a 2012 study, Israeli scientists Noam Lapidot-Lefler and Azy Barak demonstrated that a lack of eye contact plays a significant role in mob culture in digital communication. This is in line with the analyses of the American psychologist Chris Kleinke, who described the enormous importance of eye contact in interpersonal communication as early as 1986, i.e. before the advent of large-scale internet communication. What kind of people behave like this? How do they express themselves? What are their intentions, who are the victims?

«Never feed trolls» - without attention, they lose interest and move on. He trolls off.

Trolls, based on the Nordic mythical creature, are people who deliberately provoke in order to enjoy the reactions. Trolls are usually subtle and do not always resort to deliberate insults. In the case of an emotionally heated topic, all it takes is a small comment from a troll to spark endless discussions. Canadian psychologists found in a study that trolls are often anti-social and display more negative characteristics than others. The tendency towards sadism is particularly widespread.
This means that trolls do not necessarily represent the opinions they express. In a study of Wikipedia trolls, they were asked about their reasons for trolling: Boredom, seeking attention, revenge or simply enjoying the reactions. In an interview with «Zeit» magazine, Torsten Beeck, head of the social media editorial team at Spiegel Online, said that the online world doesn't react as strongly to balanced, considered comments as it does to pointed ones: «It's a mechanism that you learn: if I bang on, I get attention. And that's what it's all about.» So you can behave accordingly: «Never feed trolls» - without attention, they lose interest and move on. He trolls himself.

«Hate speech» - the rejection of others

When people specifically attack others because of their origin, gender and religious or sexual orientation, this is known as hate speech. «Hate speech can range from insults, marginalisation and discrimination to incitement and calls for violence,» explains Annina Grob.
It is not always easy to recognise, but at first glance it can seem reasonable and logical. But there are also those in which hatred against «others» is clearly evident. Such discrimination incites intolerance and jeopardises peaceful coexistence. The problem is that this hate speech spreads quickly in the new media and has a wide reach.

A new form of bullying

If this targeted attack takes place over a longer period of time, we can speak of bullying. This has always been a sad topic in schools. Children who somehow appear to be special, whether because of their character or external characteristics, are ostracised from a group. New forms of communication have also given rise to new forms of bullying. «The various digital offerings, such as social networks, allow for partially anonymous bullying,» says Isabel Willemse, research associate at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW).
What's more, the reach extends far beyond the school building. In cyberbullying, victims are deliberately insulted, exposed or threatened using new media. For example, via fake profiles, where perpetrators create a fake profile of the victim on Facebook and spread embarrassing pictures. Or they spread rumours in a WhatsApp group. According to the 2014 JAMES study by the ZHAW, 22 per cent of young people in Switzerland have already experienced «someone trying to get them down online». This type of marginalisation can have long-lasting psychological consequences for the victims. Amanda is a sad extreme example. A responsible approach to social networks is necessary.
Picture: fotolia.com

What you need to know

Do not feed trolls! React calmly to comments and ignore provocations.
Many websites, such as Facebook or Twitter, have reporting centres for comments with questionable content. Suspicious content such as hate speech can be reported to CYCO, the Swiss Coordination Centre for Combating Cybercrime.
In the case of cyberbullying, take screenshots and note down personal information such as (nick)names. If the people involved are known, ask them to delete the content. If they are pupils, seek dialogue with the parents and possibly teachers.
If your own child is involved: Seek dialogue and explain the victim's situation. Possibly talk to the parents of other perpetrators and discuss how the bullying can be stopped. Sanctions such as surfing and chat breaks can be useful.

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