Anonymity gives people balls.
As far as what the article "Bow, Nigger" and personal experience has taught me, is that online play gives a player some kind of mental pass that says, "Hey, I can be an asshole here, because no one will kick my ass for it!"
It's sad, of course. Kids who are probably half my age somehow feel they get to say a racial slur that has hundreds of years of baggage as if it's just something they learned on the internet sure as hell cheapens the social construct. I've been called it online before, usually because I'm winning at something,, and every time I want to hurt something. It's not just the word that's being said, it's the fact that the person using the word somehow thinks that saying it on the internet makes it ok, like anonymity is some magical cloak of invisibility that hides racist, or homophobic, and any slanderous remarks from the world.
Does the internet trivialize real life, or does it stay online? I really would like to know if the people saying these things are actually like this in real life or not. Maybe games keeps their tendencies from bubbling to the surface in normal situations.
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I would have to say that this type of behavior probably does not stay online. Maybe they would not say these things in public, but people must at least act this way around their close friends. It has been my experience also, that it is hard to keep one aspect of your life from interfering with others. You may start out only acting that way online, but it will quickly become a life habit.
ReplyDeleteIf people feel it's alright to say something like that online than you know that in real life their thinking it as well. The only reason they don't say it out loud in real life is because of the trouble they would get into for saying it. Meaning they talk smack but in a real fight they would have no chance of winning.
ReplyDeleteI raised this issue some in my post, but was a little different. It asked the question on whether this translates to real life or not.
ReplyDeleteAs far as my point of view, it's a tough call because obviously you don't know these people and your time spent playing with them is usually short lived. But my guess is typically they are not the same as they are online. As to why they do this? I'm clueless, but obviously still doesn't make it right.
I think people say a lot of things on-line they never would in real life. I believe they somehow feel protected from any consequences because you don't know who they are and you can't call them out on it. I don't think by any means this makes it right, but I think that's peoples logic behind it. I also think it's sad that this person must say this type of thing to make themselves feel better.
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