Why online word wars are nasty affairs

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Social media is a large melting pot of people’s thoughts, joys and frustrations. While it gives the users a platform to share their joyous moments, feelings of loss, connect with like-minded people, it sometimes lets them indulge in outbursts of anger and resentment as well.

Filmmaker Vikram Bhatt recently said, “Twitter is an open forum and it brings the meanness in people. It shouldn’t be taken seriously as at times it’s a sadistic thing.”
Does social media mine meanness in people? Although many disagree with Bhatt saying that there is always a section of irresponsible people in any society who would be brash and rude, others say that he may have a point as to some the medium seems convenient to spew vitriol — the recent examples being the ugly spats between celebrities — thereby finding some false sense of relief.
“Most of the times one can’t express oneself freely without without fear of any repercussions or rebuke. Hence social media helps fire one’s salvos and let go off frustrations and hatred one has been harbouring but is fearful to express in real life. Here it’s a massive maze of people and posting their most venomous and so called intellectual perspectives gets them heard and even makes them popular,” says author Vikrant Dutta.
For a human being two things are important — one is expression and the other is relatedness. Apart from providing the stage for a dialogue, social media also offers the users a channel to release their suppressed emotions, but it in no way fans meanness, says Durgadas Sampath, leadership trainer and director Pegasus Institute of Excellence.
“Not everybody accepts criticism with grace. There are bound to be things that rub you the wrong way leading to a war of words on Twitter or Facebook. But is it right to blame the medium for the rants?” asks Neeru Sharma, an HR professional.
Blogger Arnab Ray adds that people want to say mean things about other people all the time. It’s been there for centuries. In social media, you don’t say things to a face i.e. you don’t actually “see” the person. This provides a level of impersonality for which people can give in to their nasty side without feeling guilty about it. “However, what’s wrong with the ugly side of human nature being brought out? Truth is always preferable to being hypocritical. If you aren’t nasty, the medium won’t make you one. If you are nasty, you will find a way.”