I’ve… been thinking this question a lot.
When you are on the Internet, do you feel… safe?
Do you expect the Internet to be friendly?
What was your first thought when you discovered the Internet?
A world of endless possibilities?
A new way to communicate with anyone around the globe, perhaps?
All these questions I ask… are they even relevant in this day and age?
Hello beautiful people.
My name is Gabe, and in this video, I’ll be discussing the one-billion-dollar question;
Is the Internet Cruel?
[DISCLAIMER: This video is mostly based on my opinion and through my perspective.
Some parts of the video also touch on sensitive topics that can get a bit political.
My opinion can change as I grow up and learn more things that I'm not aware of.
So please, if I said anything that you consider as offensive, I apologize as it was not my
intention whatsoever] Why did I make this video?
Well, recently, I had an online argument with a random internet user… which didn’t go
too well.
It was an Instagram post about a r@_ist tweet.
Going to the comment section like I always do, the most liked comment said, “They're
just jealous of us because we're prettier and whiter, unlike them, mostly dark”.
It's in my native language but it is still what it is when translated to English.
So, I told him politely that I got his point but it's a bit color -st and unnecessary to
mention skin tone to fight back r@_ism.
Not to mention, how misleading the joke is since my people are diverse in terms of skin
tone.
I felt the need to educate him on color -sm, explaining very politely on why his joke was
insensitive to people with darker skin.
But oh boy, instead of taking that criticism with open arms, he got mad at me, calling
me an idiot for being too serious and soft.
He even got his friends defended him.
I questioned myself, was it wrong for me to educate him on issues like this?
Was I being overly sensitive over a mere joke?
Am I becoming the snowflake, or SJW that everyone hates on the Internet?
Some people in the comment also felt the same way, that the joke is color -st.
I knew I wasn't wrong to point out his mistakes but why is it hard for him to own up to it?
Or at least be mature and respectful.
Considering that he's a teenager, it's understandable why he can't converse maturely so I just let
him be.
This situation isn't exclusive to me.
I’m pretty sure almost every internet user, more or less, experiences this daily.
So, instead of being petty about it, I asked myself the question; is being respectful uncool
these days?
I think a part of this problem can be explained by this.
Your screen is your border and shield.
That’s pretty much what the online disinhibition effect is.
According to Wikipedia, online disinhibition is the lack of restraint one feels when communicating
online in comparison to communicating in-person.
People feel safer saying things online which they would not say in real life because they
have the ability to remain completely anonymous and invisible behind the computer screen.
The manifestations of such effect could be in both positive and negative directions.
Thus, online disinhibition could be classified as benign disinhibition or toxic disinhibition.
It is undeniable that we feel protected when going online because you are not facing those
people directly in the real world, so it’s easier for anyone to get into any conversation
without feeling the need to be responsible for what they’re saying.
Because of this anonymity, people are more outspoken about things no matter how controversial
or offensive it is.
There’s nothing that you can do to them other than showing reaction and reporting
the post to the site moderator, unless if it’s really severe such as oof, pretending
to be someone else, and oof threats which can lead to the authorities being involved.
The Internet birthed so many things including cancel culture, members (u got rick rolled), influencers,
content creators, online communities for different groups of people, keyboard warriors and trolls.
Trolling is the act of intentionally upsetting online users to provoke reaction and responses
for their amusement.
I got more active on Twitter this past 2 weeks.
Initially, I didn’t expect much from it even though it’s common knowledge that Twitter
is a galaxy of toxicity filled with rage culture and trolling, but I didn’t know it was that
bad.
I, myself, am very opinionated, but I thought my opinions on things are already savage enough.
Almost every day, there's always going to be tweets that went viral, most of them are
users’ opinions on random things.
Going to the replies proves how vocal Twitter users are when expressing their thoughts,
regardless of the validity.
Unsurprisingly, even harmless tweets about a wedding or a fanart, received negative replies,
pointing out things that are unrelated or just straight up hateful for no reason.
This is not just a problem on Twitter.
It's on Facebook, YouTube, Reddit, other social sites, and in online gaming as well.
Having fun is fine, but not to the point where it becomes harassment and hate speech.
There’s a line in the Wikipedia article that is intriguing.
Considering the different subcultures of online communities, people may have various tolerance
towards a particular social behavior.
We can see this clearly in action when we encounter online fanbases.
For example, a fan of a video game gives constructive criticism to the devs on how to improve the
game better.
However, toxic hardcore fans don't see this as helpful or constructive, but rather they
see it as hatred toward the game.
More toxic fans jump on the bandwagon to attack the innocent fan.
This toxic side of the fanbase has normalized attacking someone who showed “dislike”
to the game.
This creates a problem to any new fans who seek to be in the fanbase, as they need to
decide whether they fit in with the majority (the toxic side) or be the odd one, which
they could be consequently ridiculed for it.
Having that said tolerance can help you fit in with the community better, but does it
matter if some people doesn't feel comfortable with it?
So, I decided to ask the Internet what their general Internet experience is like by going
to VRChat and making some polls on Twitter and Instagram.
Me: So, I wanna ask you guys some questions about your personal experience with other online
users.
7: I have a lot of experience with online users.
8: Same Me: How would you describe your online experience?
2: Like, of course, of course it’s fun, but like, every now and then, you get those
toxic 8-year-olds.
3: Sometimes, you end up dealing with trolls.
1: I mean, it was pretty good.
Me: Do you think everyone on the Internet is friendly?
5: No, cuz I’ve been through the experience of many different types of people.
Some are friendly and they just wanna talk, then some just wanna fight and start drama
and start ffff doing type of shhh.
3: No, no way.
2 & 1: No, not everyone.
1: I have bad experience on Instagram, not very nice.
Me: Have you ever encountered toxic behavior online?
[such as being cyberbullied or random people attacking you or say negative things to you]
2: Oh, yes.
Oh yeah that’s uhh… of course.
3: Everyday, in some games though.
8: Yeah.
7: I encountered hacking, cyberbullying, people who scam people on the email, and all sorts
of craziness.
Me: Were you in any way affected by it?
How did you, or how would you, react to it?
2: You know, I really just brush it off.
5: I mean, I wouldn’t really care because I don’t really care about anything.
Me: Which online platform that you think is the most toxic you’ve ever seen?
3: Xbox, honestly.
2: Xbox.
I have an Xbox, I’m actually … it’s in my Apps & Games.
1: I think it was Xbox.
I don’t know.
8: I’d say it really depends on who you are and what communities you’re in.
A toxic community to you is somebody else’s safest community.
7: Well, I would have to disagree about that.
There are some toxic communities out there that are really are toxic, and it’s only
safe if you’re just as toxic as they are.
8: That’s also true.
Me: Do you think there is a limit on how free can free speech be online?
5: Not really cuz I mean, a lot of people just say different type of stuff and it just
never stops.
7: I would believe there is some limitations to what a person would say.
1: I don’t think there is.
3: Nah. 2: You have the right to speak, like, nobody
can stop you from speaking.
1: Yeah, no one can stop you from speaking.
Me: Have you ever heard of the term online disinhibition effect?
3: Yes.
2: Never.
1: I’ve never heard of that.
3: I don’t quite remember what it is but I do remember hearing about it.
Me: It’s basically how people are more comfortable to express things online (positively or negatively)
than they are in real life.
Me: What’s your opinion on online disinhibition effect?
Does it describe you as an Internet user as well?
3: I think it does not, definitely not.
1: I guess so…
7: Everybody has that effect.
I actually feel very comfortable talking more so online compared to in person.
8: Same.
7: Well, I used to, long time ago, used to typing but, you know.
Do you feel comfortable sharing things online than in real life?
Like, maybe your opinions on things… you would never say it in real life.
1: Not private things though, nu-uh.
2: Not, not private things though.
Me: How about political statements and other stuff?
1: Statements, yes.
But, it’s just that, you have to do like, non-inappropriate stuff, non-illegal.
Me: In the Wikipedia article about online disinhibition effect, it states that, and
I quote, “[c]onsidering the different subcultures of online communities, people may have various
tolerance towards a particular social behavior”.
Since each platform has its own demographics, and they know how the community is there,
do you think it’s fine if the particular demographic or community has adapted or is
fine with behaviors that others might consider insensitive?
For example, one online community has mutually accepted and understood offensive jokes as
being “just a joke”.
1: I don’t know how to answer that one.
2: That’s uhh…
1: Pretty tough.
4: I’m kinda speechless on this one too.
7: I believe there’s uhh there’s something that might have a place for it, like I wouldn’t
talk politic inside of certain rooms and things like that, like every time I go to a room
and I’m like this not the time to talk about that stuff right now.
I mean, there’s a place for all that stuff.
I think we’re too early to adapt all these things.
There should be a certain standard that everybody should follow, a bare minimum.
A threshold, a limit that everybody can agree on.
Me: I mean, it depends on the person so…
5: Yeah, like if you’re sensitive, just move on.
Sometimes, a lot of people say that to you, you know.
Me: Yeah, especially in online gaming cuz people would say nasty things to you but it’s
pretty normalized.
5: Yeah, it’s like if you’re used to those words, just move on.
6: Well, it’s also about being a grown-up and realizing that you don’t need to give
a ffff about what people say.
Me: Do you guys think it’s okay to normalize such things, even if the community is okay
with it?
2: Oh no, no.
Me: Do you consider yourself toxic?
2: To be honest, umm maybe a little salty sometimes.
1: I actually probably much swear online, I pretty much swear to my friends only for
joking around.
8: No.
I feel like I used to be cuz like, a kid, but I’ve been online my whole life, and
when I got older, I feel like I learned certain things just were wrong.
7: There’s a lot of things that can happen.
I mean, it happened to me cuz I was kinda a little savvy with the things I do.
I’ve seen a lot of people get affected by things people did to them and stuff like that
online and all those things, so…
Me: You don’t feel responsible in anything you said online, so you just say whatever
you want.
7: So, my past experience showed me that we’re all like connected, right, and what you do does
have consequences to everyone else.
You’re not an island to yourself.
Me: Have you ever engaged in any notorious online cultures?
[like being a troll and involving yourself in cancel culture].
5: No. 6: Of course, trolling but then, you know,
I became a ffff decent person as I got older.
So, you know, we stopped being kids.
5: Oh, it’s him upstairs.
1: No. 2: I don’t even know.
4: Not really, well, cuz I don’t really judge to be honest, see, y’all do what you
wanna do, you feel me.
Me: If you see any injustice or a user being bullied online (for example, someone body
shame the user for no reason or calling them with r- sl-rs), will you join in and defend
the affected users?
Or how would you react to it in general?
6: It depends if they’re my friends or not, or if they deserved to be called such things.
5: I wouldn’t really join in like if you’re sensitive.
If they don’t really show any emotions that would hurt them, I would just like joke around.
I wouldn’t just play around with them if, like join in what you just said, if they’re
sensitive, it really makes me on bad energy around.
7: I really hate r@_ists.
They speak their racial language, the language of being r@_ist.
They like using that reverse r@_ism stuff so I know all your tool tricks or anybody’s
tricks that they’re doing that.
8: I feel like it’s very situational.
I would not join in at all…
Me: Any advice on Internet use that you would like to share with the viewers?
1: Do not send inappropriate photos to someone that you don’t know online.
2: I’d have to say like, even though, like, people may seem like a bad person, at least
treat them with a bit of respect cuz like you know.
4: I was gonna say something similar to be honest like treat people like how you wanna
be treated, you know.
7: Do not troll.
Do not present yourself if it’s online cuz it’s gonna be online forever.
You’re gonna be known, your reputation is online and it’s going to be like that engraved
into the Internet.
1: I had a police officer, like, come to my school.
I pretty much learned that you can’t send inappropriate photos even though…
Actually, on Instagram, someone tried to make me send inappropriate photo of my oof, and
I said nope.
I’m blocking you cuz you have to block the person and actually tell the actual police
that you’re actively getting harassed or… something happening, you have to tell someone
that you know AND trust about something going on online.
It’s pretty much true.
Okay, I guess that’s it.
Thanks!
So, is the Internet cruel?
I… honestly don’t know.
Sorry I wasted your time by watching a long boring video about the Internet… but listen.
The Internet is a faceless being.
You are seeing a huge binary data on a screen.
The texts, photos, videos, and all those stuff on your screen, they’re all digital pieces
of information.
The Internet is only a medium of communication, and that medium is how we get to see the ugly
side of the Internet.
Because of this level of information, people get bullied more easily, doxing is happening,
Likes are used to win an argument, exploitation for one’s personal gain… not to mention,
hate speech such as r__ism, c____ism, s__ism, h______bia, i________bia, antis sm
and there’s a long list of ugly things out there that society needs
to be aware of.
After all, it’s the Internet, right?
Anyone can say whatever they want.
I don’t want to sound like a “boomer” but the Internet does bring out the worst
in us as a society.
Toxicity is everywhere and it’s clearer than ever.
I don't want to be preachy but, please be respectful.
There’s always gonna be people out there that will ignore this.
After all, it's free speech, right?
Whether you have an opposite view of something, or you want to defend your argument, I personally
believe that it is BEST to be kind and respectful.
Trust me, that is the only way people will listen to you.
And maybe have a little sympathy toward others to create a safe space for everyone so they
don’t feel anxious or get scarred.
You don’t gain anything worthwhile trolling or just being hateful around the Internet.
If you feel like you need to take a time off of the Internet, please do not feel guilty
about it.
Your mental health is much more important than your online presence.
If you reached the end, thank you so much for watching.
This is the longest video I’ve ever made and I would appreciate it if you Subscribe
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I’ll see you beautiful people in the next video.