Online hatred - analysis of the phenomenon

Where did hate come from? Its origins can be traced to the spread of Internet access. The web has made communication easier. Many people also believe that they are anonymous on the Internet, which is not true. Hence, there is a greater desire to express one's own opinion, which takes uncultured and boorish forms.

What is hate? It is most often presented as a type of action that deliberately harms other people. It is also defined as a form of language use. Hate is identified with hate speech. Attention is drawn to violations of the rules of speech culture - comments by haters often contain vulgarities and insult interlocutors.

Sources also emphasise the emotional dimension of hate. This phenomenon is the result of certain feelings. It serves to arouse them. Most often, negative emotions are referred to. Finally, the hater insults the addressee of his comments. He or she directs negatively-charged messages at him or her. These opinions are intended to offend the addressee, to cause him distress, pain. However, the hater very often gives vent to his negative emotions in this way, but also feels better after writing an unkind comment. Thus, in a way, he improves his well-being when he offends someone.

What distinguishes hate? The main feature is the lack of substance in the statements. A hater does not use arguments to support the claims he or she makes. They are empty comments. There may be personal arguments. There is no rational reason for the attack, it is difficult to see anything that could actually provoke the recipient, upset him or her.

Comments are most often anonymous. For this reason, haters feel impunity. They do not write from accounts bearing their real data or photo. Hence, there is a big surge of boldness and a desire to offend other people. In addition, the hater disregards the rules of netiquette and etiquette, is rude and often vulgar. The messages sent by such a person are emotionally negative and are distinguished by the bad intentions of the person writing them.

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Criticism ... I will express my opinion

Criticism is associated with something negative. However, it should not be confused with hate. It does not involve insulting the other person, pointing out their faults or making fun of their appearance, skills, character or sexual orientation. Criticism does not include remarks about things that are beyond the control of the person being criticised. Criticism focuses more on discussing the problem.

Importantly, constructive criticism does not merely describe what someone has done wrong. Yes, pointing out the essence of the problem is important. However, the most important thing is that the critic points out possible solutions. So if someone writes under a photo on Instagram that they don't like it because it's badly cropped, they will also mention how to correct this problem. Suggesting how to fix the problem is the essence of criticism. What is also important is that criticism focuses on the activity, the fruit of the work, not on the person himself.

Above all, criticism has a specific purpose and meaning. The person criticising sticks to the facts. He gives advice, teaches, and then expresses criticism. Does not insult - respects the person being criticised. Maintains the culture of speech, does not behave unkindly. He also includes some praise in his comments. These comments, while not always pleasant to read, are not offensive.

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Hater ... I'll insult you

A hater is the opposite of a critic. There is no advice in his statements about how to improve the work or behaviour of the person to whom the comment is directed. The criticism has no purpose, nor does it make sense. It is an unpleasant opinion - simply for the sake of expressing an unpleasant opinion.

Such a comment will often address issues that the recipient cannot change, over which they have no control. The hater will allude to an appearance, certain features. It will not pass on a suggestion on how to improve something, or even if it smuggles one in, it will be malicious.

The form of the comment itself will also be uncultured. Vulgarisms may appear.

Stalker ... I will destroy you

The word 'stalker' is derived from the English word 'stalk', meaning to sneak, stalk. It denotes a person who stalks someone in an insistent manner. This contact can be both physical and online.

The phenomenon of stalking is not new, but the number of stalkers is increasing every year. This is influenced by the development of the internet and new technologies. Making contact has become easier.

Initially, stalking referred only to the harassment of famous people. Today, however, it can affect anyone. According to the definition, a stalker is someone who persistently and repeatedly stalks, harasses another person. His goal is to cause mental and physical discomfort. He also wants to draw attention to himself. The stalker's actions must be repeated to earn this designation.

A stalker can take many actions: • intrusive contact when the other party does not wish it, • following, stalking a person at home, at work, • calling, texting, • making deafening phone calls, • send gifts, flowers in an intrusive manner, • peeping, • behave aggressively: assaults, thefts, burglaries.

The stalker therefore takes a number of actions against the victim's will. He differs from a hater precisely in this respect - he does much more than simply post offensive comments online. The stalker solicits, is intrusive in various ways. He stalks his victims, often on the internet. However, it can happen that hate takes the form of stalking. We speak of it when negative comments appear frequently against the same person. When the hater starts writing intrusive messages of a similar nature.

A contemporary threat?

Hating, on the one hand, is not dangerous - it is, after all, just unpleasant comments. However, it must be taken into account that not every person has an equally high immunity to such messages. Many people take unpleasant statements personally. They hit their self-esteem. They can affect them greatly. It is not uncommon for intensified hate to lead to tragedy.

Hating is not an entirely new phenomenon, but its incidence has increased with the development of the internet and the spread of access to it. It is not just unpleasant comments. It is a threat - especially as the phenomenon becomes more widespread.