In Taffy Broedesser-Akner’s New York Times piece “E-Playgrounds Can Get Vicious” she tells the story of writing an online article about Postpartum Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, which she experienced firsthand, only to receive “a slew of nasty comments.”
An example? One commenter wrote “I feel sorry for her son. Can you imagine going through life with this woman?” Such remarks left Taffy wondering what “motivates the mean commenters to be so cruel” instead of using the comments section to start a more civilized discussion?
Taffy raises some good points in her article, but it must be noted that over at The Awl Maura Johnston responds to Taffy’s concerns with a straight-forward argument, “The Internet: It’s Pretty Much As Mean As All Of Us.” Give both pieces a read and let us know what you think in the comments below (but please, try not to make us cry).
One response
Being mean and offensive is often simply fun. If you want to ask why it’s fun, you’re in the realm of ethology and evolution. It’s the consequences of being mean that are often unpleasant. On the internet (and before it, in computer games, and before it in various epistles) we can experience some of the fun of being mean without the down sides.
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