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Read this article to explore interesting psychological facts that drive this behaviour!
You might already be aware of the distinguished scholar hailing from UP who claimed first place in her 10th board exams. However, it's also likely that you recognize her not just for her academic success, but also for the unfortunate spotlight of her appearance, which made her go viral in an unpleasant way. Similarly, a wholesome couple claimed the posts for several Instagram troll pages where the man was perpetually shamed for his weight, despite the video capturing an innocent and special moment between them.
Even celebrities who are otherwise coddled with respect and admiration, are targeted online as seen in the incident with an Indian Bigg Boss personality and model, who was heavily criticized for gaining weight in her recent post.
Statistics from WHO dictate over 400 million active internet users in India alone, with the global proportion being astronomically greater. With the rise of technological pace and normalization of internet usage, the world of cyberspace has developed with multitudes of people uniting in harmony from all corners of the world and cultures.
However, such a synergy now exists in moderation as a new trend of behaviours emerges in social media, where people exploit their freedom of expression to hurt others and label it with names like ‘Dark humour’ for justification. These blend of users or trolls are mostly comprised of Gen-Z and Millennials, especially on platforms such as Instagram, TikTok and Twitter where open speech is prevalent.
Synopsis
People Vulnerable to Rampant Insensitivity
People that can be particularly vulnerable to the rampant insensitivity are usually:
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Celebrities
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Active social media users (usually adolescents)
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People with limited cybersecurity awareness (Elderly adults)
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People with existing medical conditions/disabilities
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People who may not fit conventional beauty standards
Be it in the world of modelling, high achievers or simple interactions between normal citizens, people are subjected to crude negativity and insensitivity in the form of rude comments and distasteful jokes all the time on the Internet. Personally, I have observed the hate and toxicity sparing no one, not even those seeking support due to physical or mental disabilities, or the unfortunate victims of disasters or wars. This manner of responses is romanticized and my friends (and a wider pool of people) share these reels just to read the comments which, to them, are arguably better than the content.
Contributing Factors for Apathy
This newfound apathy towards people can be attributed to a cluster of factors:
1. Anonymity
A prominent reason why people engage in cyberbullying is due to the ability to remain invisible, with the screen of their gadget shielding them from accountability. The option of being anonymous gives leeway to act in ways they would usually not behave in person, a phenomenon termed by cyber psychologists as the “Online Disinhibition Effect”.
2. Lack of social cues
Cyberspace lacks the depth of features accessible offline such as touch, taste, smell and more importantly, physical cues. The inability to see how our comments affect the victim in the online space makes one lose all their inhibitions and go all out in hating someone. If it were real life, people would sense pity and consider stopping if they get social cues indicating that the victim is about to cry or get angry.
3. Bystander effect
The bystander effect is a social phenomenon where individuals are less likely to offer help or intervene in an emergency situation when others are present. Instead of taking action, individuals may hesitate or refrain from helping due to the presence of others, assuming that someone else will take responsibility or believing that their actions are unnecessary. The internet being a large open space teeming with people will only increase the impact of this effect.
4. News agencies “pouring fuel to the fire"
Having their primary role to convey issues and inform the public; sometimes these companies stray off this path to generate more views and subsequently more revenue, inviting the problematic trend of behaviours by blowing things out of proportion. Remember, the more interaction in the comments, the more favoured it will be by the algorithm.
5. Lack of consequences (herd behaviour)
When people see such behaviours being normalized without reprimands, they innately engage in the same to fit in with the fad, to appear ‘cool’ and to be liked by the social circle. There is also relief in knowing that they can’t punish ‘“everyone” altogether.
Consult a psychology hospital in Bangalore if you need to know more about interesting facts about the brain psychology,
How can we respond when we are in the face of insensitivity online?
Ideally, the relevant authorities should be handling these, however, it has been deemed unreliable which has propagated such personalities in cyberspace. Here are a few things you can do to fend off the negativity.
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Report and block: As soon as you encounter hate from a stranger on the internet, directly or to someone else, report them immediately and block them stating appropriate reasons. This will prompt you to see fewer posts of the mentioned interactions.
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Time out: It can be overwhelming to find negativity almost everywhere on social media and can take a toll on your mental health, hence it is imperative we take a healthy amount of breaks and be mindful of the content we focus on.
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Make use of platform features: Often there are anti-hate-friendly options on social media platforms such as disabling comments or limiting it to select people which can give you control over what to expect under your posts.
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Keep a record of the interaction: Sometimes things can get ugly to the point you might benefit from taking legal action. To enable a smooth process, keeping a record of the interaction is pivotal which can be done via screenshots.
One must always keep in mind that you cannot fight fire with fire, and similarly, hate with hate. Not stooping down to their level can benefit you mentally and also give you an upper hand if you take legal actions where you have evidence of being passive and a victim. In a (cyber) world that is piling with negativity, try to be the cause that strives to turn the tides for goodness. The aforementioned model advised fellow vulnerable netizens that trolling comes as a part of life is in the public eye and that you should not seek validation from anyone and simply do what you wish.
Remember that help is readily available; consult a psychologist in Bengaluru to help you fight your way through struggles.
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