Virtual Snowball

Mob mentality is nothing new to the world. In fact they are probably as old as human history. Scripture contains accounts of prophets, and even Christ, being killed by large groups of people who fed on each other's emotions and irrationality. While mobs may, in the moment, make a person feel as if they have lost their individual identity, they may be held accountable for individual actions, if not by the law, then by society.

That is, before the Internet. The Internet makes mob mentality more dangerous for three reasons. First, judgment and reaction can be nearly instantaneous. A person can literally read a blog, and post a defaming response in less than a minute. Second, location becomes irrelevant. People anywhere in the world can join the bandwagon, despite lack of proximity which may have lowered tension because of understanding of cultural context. Third, and perhaps most importantly, the Internet adds a layer of anonymity to human interactions. People who are concerned about their reputation are not likely to post something that could be perceived as over-the-top or irresponsible. When it is difficult to discover the true identity of a poster, however, there is much less incentive to self police one's comments.

While positive peer pressure can be helpful to society, we need to consider the broad impact online actions can have. Once something is on the Internet, it my be impossible to recall it. If something damaging needs to be posted, we need to think about the consequences. If we feel strongly enough about something to put it in a public place, then we also ought to have the courage to identify ourselves. It may look like a small snowball now, but let's stop and think before dropping it on the side of a freshly powdered Internet mountain.

Post Inspired By: http://www.wired.com/politics/onlinerights/news/2007/11/vigilante_justice (I don't necessarily completely disagree with Mrs. Wells, this article just got me thinking)