Internet Facts: Emotional Anonymity

Facts are important for knowing that information is true. They are pretty concrete unless there is new information refuting it. Yet, it is tricky to accept facts due to our own emotions. In some cases, it can affect our views. It is difficult to understand what people type on the internet without proper facts. The novel “I Hate the Internet” ,by Jarett Kobek, has a part about negative backlash when the main character was recorded stating some unpopular opinions on Youtube. The character was “unknowledgeable” and commenters used her words as proof. In this situation, the internet can be a bit trivial when it comes to fact about people. With our technology, certain people feel protected behind a screen. They feel that with anonymity, they’re actions are not monitored. When these situations happen, there is a lack of fact-checking. Our emotions have a tendency to blind us to certain aspects of people, then we use facts to make a confirmation. Most people want to have solid proof with any claim made. The reason why could be credibility. When you are credible, people prefer to listen and use those facts. Rarely, people want to use facts to challenge their own views. Back to my earlier example, the claims made against the main character are untrue. While explaining themselves, the people felt that their “facts” were challenged. Then, the people proceeded to give new negative comments. When it comes to information on the internet, I think people need not to take opinions as facts.

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