Rarely do people have the time to be crafty in direct conversation, and don’t want to be perceived as assholes. That’s why they do it online.

It’s worse in real life, because it’s personal. You will experience the absolute depth of human cruelty from the people you love the most.

Yes. Some people are just assholes and don’t care what they say or do. Online anonymity let’s people who are too afraid of consequences (in real life) be assholes too.

They can be. Think of the incidents like that lady calling little kids racial slurs (then getting a fat check from fund raising), or how some people act in customer service situations. Or I mean, random assaults and shootings. Online can give anyone anonymity, which is definitely often abused, but some people feel that way in public surrounded by people they don’t know.

I’d add that there are some people who, when interacting with them online, we really didn’t get along. But it was very different meeting them in person. I’ve had the opposite be true as well, where I thought I would really like someone I was getting to know from an online community, and then really didn’t hit it off with them in person. So, that’s not as far as being horrible or toxic, but just that I have experienced people seeming really different in either circumstance. You can also find many anecdotes about people knowing someone who seemed really chill in person, and then on social media they’re really awful.

There are unpleasant people in real life too, yes. Most online trolls will put a mask on their assholerly in real life because there are more likely consequences but enough act that way regardless. Protesting humanitarian marches, arguing for the death of people different than them, etc. The existence of neonazi groups and the global pedophile/rape and murder cabal noted in the Epstein files is really all the proof you need.

People can stab you to death irl, not online

Yes. Mean people existed before the Internet, after all.

People tend to be less mean irl. Either because they are likely to have to deal with you again or because they are afraid to be punched in the face.

But there are mean people IRL too.

Yes, but very few and I think they might have personality disorders.

Whenever I see someone being unnecessarily a cunt online. I always accuse them of probably not speaking like this to me if we were face to face.

Tbh, I’ve caught myself asking myself, would I have said this to them if we were face to face?

Yes, people who have completely shaped themselves based on the internet (zoomers)

I think tha’s what made early internet nice and new internet bad - early internet is people who are used to politeness and being normal using the internet as a tool ot be more sociable, new internet is people with fried dopamine receptors who are used to porn, gore and bullying and get points for saying shocking things.

Some people actually be toxic irl and have a false persona of a “good person” on their online (real name) accounts

As someone who has worked in customer service, the food industry, and healthcare, yes. They can be just as bad irl.

In my own experience, the internet is best for shocking, short-term nastiness. I’ve rarely met anyone in person who was quite as obnoxious or annoying as a particularly bad hit-and-run online troll.

IRL contact is still the “best” for deeply hurtful, damaging, long-term cruelty.

Worse, even! At least online they can’t physically hurt you.

Anyone who thinks people aren’t as shitty irl clearly haven’t worked in customer-facing roles, e.g. restaurants, retail, or support.

Have you not been paying attention to political news lately?

Remembering my childhood…yeah. yeah they can be just little jerks. They became quieter jerks whenever I kicked them in the shins with my little cowboy boots.

I work in retail. Yes. Yes they are. Worse even. So much worse.

Oh ive met some people where ive thought “fuck this is it”. I mean, history is filled with those people, whether they are seen as good or bad

Only the Dutch.

Yes, of course.

Ideally, not without getting a smack in the teeth.

People are utterly totally different in anonymous online comunities, sometimes in a very good way and often in a very bad way.

In the Us a similar thing happens when they get behind the wheel of a car.

They can, but it is less likely. I generally find work interactions are nicer if the interactions are in person than over written text.

Yes, much worse, there are racists lynchings, wars, genocide, all of human history is littered with atrocities that make online comments seam like minor disagreements.