In this blog post, we will look at why the aggressiveness of the Internet is intensifying and how anonymity and social change are affecting it.
What is the standard for strength? In the distant past, when humans were evolving, physical strength or abundant experience may have been the standard for strength. As villages formed and wars began, power became the new standard of strength, and after the concept of money emerged as cities developed into countries, financial power became another yardstick. And the dazzling development of science in a very short period of human history has given rise to new standards of information and knowledge. It is self-evident that information has tremendous value for people living in the modern world.
So, why has the value of information become so important? Information is not just an accumulation of knowledge, but has become the most important factor in making decisions. In all areas, including the economy, politics, and culture, information is directly linked to power, and misinformation can have fatal consequences. For example, making investment decisions based on false information in the stock market can result in huge losses. Information has thus become a powerful weapon that is directly linked to people’s lives.
People obtain information in their own ways. There are various means such as books, rumors, and acquaintances, but the most common means that modern people rely on is by far the Internet. The Internet, where countless new posts and photos are uploaded every day, is like a huge ocean full of information. The fact that people can easily get the information they want with just a few clicks has made it very attractive. As a result, countless people are swimming in the ocean of information every day.
However, it is becoming increasingly clear that the Internet is becoming more and more aggressive. This change can be easily seen in the emergence of the new term “hate speech,” which refers to the act of maliciously adding insults and slander to someone else’s post. Hate speech is sometimes so serious that it can lead to murder or suicide, and some celebrities and ordinary people have even become depressed or committed suicide due to it. In the comment sections of celebrity-related articles, there are a lot of positive and negative comments, and it is not uncommon to see people taking sides and fighting with each other. The reality that violent and obscene expressions are casually exchanged in the comment sections of webtoons and games on the Internet is very different from just a few years ago.
What is the cause of the Internet becoming so violent? There are many reasons, but first of all, changes in society must have played a major role. In the 1990s, people had close relationships with their neighbors, and they knew each other’s names and even the dates of their relatives’ weddings. However, in modern society, these relationships have become more distant. Even if people move, they often do not even know the names of their neighbors in the apartment, let alone give them rice cakes. This shows that society has become increasingly individualistic and indifferent to others.
In addition, society is becoming more and more provocative. In the past, conservative dress was considered natural, but now, when you turn on the TV, you are flooded with celebrities who are overly revealing. It has become the modern comedy code to spew out venomous words that can hurt others and take it for granted. The titles of the media have also become much more provocative and sensational than in the past. These social changes have had a significant impact on the aggressiveness that is evident on the Internet.
The changes in the Internet itself are also an essential cause. In the early 1990s, the concept of a PC room did not even exist. However, today, computers are even in the rooms of students living alone, and Internet access has become very easy. As the use of the Internet has become commonplace, various people have been able to access the Internet, and the possibility of conflicts and disagreements has increased accordingly. In particular, the Internet has become more aggressive as people dissatisfied with society and teenagers whose values have not yet been established access the Internet to express their dissatisfaction.
Anonymity also encourages the violence of the Internet. In the past, conversations between people were conducted face-to-face, but on the Internet, people can hide behind a nickname. This allows them to escape moral concepts and say things they would never normally imagine without revealing themselves. The mask of the Internet has caused people to behave more cruelly and aggressively.
These various factors have combined to create today’s aggressive Internet culture. Although various efforts are being made at the government level to address these issues, the Internet’s aggressiveness is still increasing. In particular, the aggressiveness is at its peak on community sites created for political purposes. In addition, many other community sites are also filled with provocative and aggressive posts.
How many of the tens of millions or even hundreds of millions of people on the Internet can I meet? If we happen to meet someone on the Internet, that encounter may be more than just a coincidence. So, should we use aggressive language with them? If we pay a little more attention to the people on the screen, can the Internet become a warmer and more comfortable place?
