The Mob

What are the, perhaps, unintended effects unleashed by our connectedness? Does anonymity plus connectivity always equal misbehavior and cruelty? How are we to explain some of the collective anger that seems to be unleashed online - and is it a result of the same anger characterizing much of our society's discourse, or is it the cause?

 

 Our growth of our connectedness through the internet is an amazing thing.  No longer will you lose touch with old high school friends.  The fact that ideas can free flow from one side of the world to the other and be commented on and changed means that our knowledge can grow at a must faster rate.  While some may see the anonymity as a detriment to the process, it is actually one of the driving forces.

Sometimes an idea might feel stupid or you may be afraid of the criticism you will receive.  With the option to share as many ideas as you want while remaining virtually anonymous, people are more likely to speak out.  In the same way, someone may be more willing to criticize the ideas of others if they know the person will not be able to identify them.  People can be more honest and cut through the bullshit so their ideas can evolve faster.

Society is not that angry as a whole.  The reason we see violence and hatred in movies and other types of media is because people are looking for something to shock them.  We want to be excited, it is one of our core values.  Also, these mediums are an outlet for any anger or frustration we do have.  It is a safe way of expressing ourselves.  The internet is just one more channel for society to use, and it can be done without fear of personal persecution.

At this point, it would be nearly impossible for society to go from the level of connectedness it has now to back before cell phones, social networks, message boards, and the internet really took off.  It would cripple society and everything would slow down.  You wouldn't be reading this blog and forming your own opinions on the opinions of others.