Internet comes with its own rules of communication and etiquette. But one thing remains the same as it is in real life: arguing. People like to prove their point when they're lurking in the comment section, and Millennials might be the age group that does it most.
According to a 2017 survey, 33% of Millennials said they get into fights online often or at least sometimes. Still, most Americans don't think online arguments are worth their time. More than half (55%) of the respondents said they don't ever have disagreements with people online. 24% admitted that it happens, but rarely.
Sadly, probably none of us are strangers to insults and verbal put-downs, especially on the internet. The Pew Research Center reported in 2021 that about four in 10 Americans have reported online harassment. Most respondents cite politics as the top reason why they might be targeted.
Younger people also say they experienced online harassment more often. A whopping 64% of Americans under 30 have experienced some form of it. 49% of folks aged 30-49 say the same, and only 21 people aged 65 and older admit they've been victims of some sort of harassment on the internet.
We know it happens; people insult each other. Whether it's face-to-face or through a device screen, they usually hurt. We all can probably appreciate a carefully-crafted and humorous roast that's targeted at someone else, but what's the psychology behind insulting people in general? Are we just looking for ways to express our pent-up anger or is there any kind of self-serving reasoning in the act?
Sometimes, insults can be about superiority. Evolutionary psychologist Nigel Barber, Ph.D. explains that we insult someone when they threaten our social standing. "[An insult is] an attempt to reduce the social status of the recipient and raise the relative status of the insulter," he writes for Psychology Today.
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We're also exhibiting more and more narcissistic traits, which might be the fault of social media. Even in 2009, researchers have observed a rise in narcissistic traits in college students. Now, more than 15 years and many new social media platforms later, our self-esteem and egos are closely tied to our social media personas. And we feel like insults are the most effective way to defend them.
Insulting someone on the Internet is also easier on us. It doesn't make us feel that bad insulting a person's appearance if we can't see their reaction in real-time. Even if an insult is clever and we get cheered on by fellow netizens, we don't see the micro expressions on the other person's face. So, insulting someone on the internet can make us bolder, more reckless, and, ultimately, mean.
