It’s tough to find a corner of the internet where someone isn’t angry about something. Even a post of cute kittens can attract at least one person who feels the need to rant about why it ruined their day.
This kind of negativity doesn’t just stay put. Every angry remark seems to trigger a chain reaction, leading to a flurry of responses where people start clashing. There’s actually a reason for this—research shows that anger is the most ‘viral’ emotion, spreading faster on social media than fear, disgust, or sadness. In fact, about a third of people admit they’re more likely to be aggressive online than offline.
There’s nothing wrong with anger itself; it’s a natural human emotion. However, the way it manifests online isn’t exactly healthy. “What makes internet anger so problematic is how people sometimes respond to their angry feelings,” says psychologist Dr. Ryan Martin, author of How to Deal with Angry People and Why We Get Mad. “Angry internet users will often rant in a way that offends people or damages relationships.”
“Likewise, people who rant online often have problems with their anger offline too,” he adds. “According to a study my research team and I did in 2013, people who frequently ranted online were likely to experience more maladaptive anger in their offline life than others.”
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So why do people feel the need to vent their frustrations so intensely? “Because it feels good,” explains Martin. “That same 2013 study found that 100% of participants said they felt calm, relaxed, and relieved after they ranted online. The trouble is that just because something feels good doesn’t mean that it’s good for you.”
Moreover, the online environment naturally stirs up conflicts. Spending a lot of time on the internet exposes us to more provocations, like differing political views or upsetting news, which leads to more frequent bouts of anger.
Martin also points out that the instant nature of electronic communication has weakened our impulse control. This is especially harmful when we’re angry because we’re less rational and less likely to consider the consequences of our words. With nothing stopping us from posting our reactions within seconds, we risk escalating arguments that could have been avoided with more deliberate thought.
On top of that, people often react with anger more quickly online because the barrier of a screen creates a sense of distance, making it harder to feel the impact of their comments.
“The distance between you and another person online may stop you from censoring yourself,” says Martin. “When you are on Facebook or Twitter, you aren’t looking the person in the eyes or listening to his or her side of the story.”
“If it were a face-to-face conversation, you might notice that he or she is truly reflecting on what you are saying and you may come to understand his or her perspective before things get too heated. Even if that doesn’t happen, it’s just harder for most people to say hurtful things to a person’s face.”
Even more so, you can choose not to share personal details or stay fully anonymous online, which makes the distance between you and other users feel even greater. With no direct connection to their real-world identity—some even go as far as masking their IP addresses—people may feel like they’ll never face any repercussions for their actions. In many cases, this detachment can even lead to cyberbullying or hate speech.
Psychologist and therapist Dr. Brad Brenner notes that constantly engaging with or even witnessing outrage on social media can take a heavy toll on our mental health, leaving us feeling exhausted. “This state of mental fatigue is more than just feeling tired of the arguments; it’s about feeling overwhelmed by the negativity and hopelessness that can come from seeing human interaction reduced to its most confrontational elements,” he says.
