Written. Sent. Notified. You open your phone to Yik-Yak and started scrolling through the feed: memes, jokes, and personal ads. You like a few posts just as you scroll past your name. Without considering anything else, your hands begin to shake. With panicked breaths, you slowly start to scroll back up- forcing your finger to span the smallest area possible. Suddenly, there it is in text- attacking your character and reputation- all in 160 characters. Tapped and posted like it is no big deal. There are three opposing forces in this situation- the victim, the oppressor, and the dark force taking the form of online anonymity. With the era of the Internet of Things, anonymity is used for practical issues ranging from banking and healthcare to
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Everywhere we go we are given sets of rules to follow and taught to behave properly as every action has its consequences. Anonymity instead removes these set parameters. The mere act of removing one’s name from their identity sends a rush of adrenaline- the feeling they may do or say anything they want. Unfortunately, this lack of impulse control leads to the activation of deindividuation. As Philip Zimbardo, a renowned psychologist in social psychology, states, “[deindividuation is] a process where specific social conditions leads to changes in perception of self and others resulting in unrestrained behavior” (Deindividuation). Here, Zimbardo analyses the effects of leaving social pressures, which is what anonymity was first created to relieve. Individuals using anonymity are setting up an environment that is tangent to what is it in reality and likewise start to behave violently and use cruel or foul language that is unnecessary for the sake that they can. In light of its effects, deindividuation also strips people of social restraints. When people are placed in environments where their identity and social …show more content…
The gleaming idea of freedom and free speech also brings upon the worst in social media and public apps used by teens and has attracted more cyber bullies and shaming commenters than the marketed virtuous citizen. Often times, many teens post hateful comments on weight, body shape, race, and many other crude comments on personality and or behaviors just for the fun of it. In 2006, Alexis Pilkington a 17-year old teen committed suicide and his family built a tribute page for her. When trolls found the page they posted nooses and made hateful comments against her decision and her family (Martinez). Here the teens participating in vandalism used Alexis’s page as a prank even in light of the situation. The anonymity on the Internet allows people to get away with things that they otherwise should not. Though the cons of anonymity are not marketed as much, these problems should not be pushed aside as many teens are affected by many psychological problems. Though anonymity is a chance to let go and share, or yell out, your true feelings, many seem to take that for granted and use it as a platform for violence and hate and this should be stopped. Nowadays, many people scroll through comments, expecting to gain insight, but eventually rude and unnecessary comments- entirely different that the path set out for anonymity when it was
Everywhere we go we are given sets of rules to follow and taught to behave properly as every action has its consequences. Anonymity instead removes these set parameters. The mere act of removing one’s name from their identity sends a rush of adrenaline- the feeling they may do or say anything they want. Unfortunately, this lack of impulse control leads to the activation of deindividuation. As Philip Zimbardo, a renowned psychologist in social psychology, states, “[deindividuation is] a process where specific social conditions leads to changes in perception of self and others resulting in unrestrained behavior” (Deindividuation). Here, Zimbardo analyses the effects of leaving social pressures, which is what anonymity was first created to relieve. Individuals using anonymity are setting up an environment that is tangent to what is it in reality and likewise start to behave violently and use cruel or foul language that is unnecessary for the sake that they can. In light of its effects, deindividuation also strips people of social restraints. When people are placed in environments where their identity and social …show more content…
The gleaming idea of freedom and free speech also brings upon the worst in social media and public apps used by teens and has attracted more cyber bullies and shaming commenters than the marketed virtuous citizen. Often times, many teens post hateful comments on weight, body shape, race, and many other crude comments on personality and or behaviors just for the fun of it. In 2006, Alexis Pilkington a 17-year old teen committed suicide and his family built a tribute page for her. When trolls found the page they posted nooses and made hateful comments against her decision and her family (Martinez). Here the teens participating in vandalism used Alexis’s page as a prank even in light of the situation. The anonymity on the Internet allows people to get away with things that they otherwise should not. Though the cons of anonymity are not marketed as much, these problems should not be pushed aside as many teens are affected by many psychological problems. Though anonymity is a chance to let go and share, or yell out, your true feelings, many seem to take that for granted and use it as a platform for violence and hate and this should be stopped. Nowadays, many people scroll through comments, expecting to gain insight, but eventually rude and unnecessary comments- entirely different that the path set out for anonymity when it was