However, just like everything else in this world, it has its shady sides. Most people take it for granted and use it to spread inappropriate contents and behaviors that can lead to many serious problems.
Today, people easily give a cold shoulder whenever these topics arise in certain situations, but it's time to talk about it. We listed several godawful things people do on the internet, and we are going to help you tear them apart by giving you some tips and techniques on how to manage them.
Normalizing Toxicity
There's no actual definition of toxic behavior, but generally, we define it as a behavior that affects, offends, and disturbs most people. Anyone is vulnerable from being a victim of toxic behavior – be it from online games, community forums, and even on the outside world. Sadly people tend to keep a blind eye when their favorite personalities commit these godawful behaviors.
How to manage:
Social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter have become a melting pot for people with different backgrounds. However, toxicity is not a thing to be normalized and should never be. Believe it or not, this is a pervasive thing inside the online world, and we all faced one.In order to answer this debacle, we need to know how to look and access if the people you follow online are "Toxic".
Here's what they do:
- Notices and criticizes even the tiniest bit of your flaws
- Not a single thing you say or do is good enough for them
- They don't respect your privacy
- They consider themselves perfect who never committed mistakes
- Transfers their toxic behavior online
The easiest way to manage "Toxic" people on the internet is to call them out calmly and politely, tell them the spots they missed, and let them know how they can improve their behavior.
Enter Nonsensical Arguments
Social media platforms give us a stage to express and share our opinions politically or religiously. Having heated conversations on the internet is inevitable because of contradicting views and off-topic responses, but some people can really push you to your wit's end. Internet users who do this frequently are trolls and bullies that you should avoid if you're short-tempered.
Fake News
Here are some tips to spot fake news:
- Check for similar stories
- See if the published article or report is from an accredited news website.
- Know to read its content, not just the headline
- Look for the date published to be updated of the news
Piracy
The following are classified by LawVision, an Australian-based commercial law firm, as illegal contents you should keep an eye out for:
- Promoting and encouraging terrorist acts
- Child pornography or child abuse
- Files containing promotion, demonstration, and encouragement of crime and violence
Extreme sexual violence and other overly violently contents
In case you know a website or a user that uploads the mentioned contents or seen one, you know the drill. Reporting it to online authorities guarantees the removal of such content and teaches them a lesson. Do not participate
Cyberbullying and Trolling
It's no surprise even the real-world bullies and trolls managed to upload their nasty behavior on every corner of the internet. Their main goal includes humiliating, defaming, enraging, and making your self-esteem and confidence plummet quickly. According to a report, over 25% of adolescents and teens have continuously been bullied on the internet, and 1 in 3 people received cyberthreats. Cyberbullies and trolls wreck order in every online community. Luckily, there are effective ways on how to deal with them.
Dealing with an online bully is the same as a real-world one. Laws have been made for you to report them to authorities and finally address the issue. Alternatively, keeping our nerves at ease, taking a deep breath, and moving on is also a good move
Trolls, on the other hand, are playful creatures that will lure you into their game. They're the ones commenting off-topic and negative responses, which are annoying and offensive most of the time. To deal with them, ignoring is an excellent but significant way. If they're too invasive, let other people deal with them or expose their acts to the online community.
The online world is our escape from reality and gives us the stage to express our ideas, share our talents, and get an instant solution to any problems. The only flaws the internet has are its users with their god awful behavior and content, which turned friendly communities into hostile. Just remember: abstain from tolerating malicious behavior and people online. Given you're a concerned netizen spreading kindness and awareness, you're already making a big difference.
Dealing with an online bully is the same as a real-world one. Laws have been made for you to report them to authorities and finally address the issue. Alternatively, keeping our nerves at ease, taking a deep breath, and moving on is also a good move
Trolls, on the other hand, are playful creatures that will lure you into their game. They're the ones commenting off-topic and negative responses, which are annoying and offensive most of the time. To deal with them, ignoring is an excellent but significant way. If they're too invasive, let other people deal with them or expose their acts to the online community.
The online world is our escape from reality and gives us the stage to express our ideas, share our talents, and get an instant solution to any problems. The only flaws the internet has are its users with their god awful behavior and content, which turned friendly communities into hostile. Just remember: abstain from tolerating malicious behavior and people online. Given you're a concerned netizen spreading kindness and awareness, you're already making a big difference.
━━ Art By Chloe Yu
