Digital Nation - The Mob

The mob is a compelling topic on the internet. I believe the anonymity really does encourage people into saying and posting things about them that they would never normally consider. Today everyone is much more connected then they used to be. It has become something that we as a population have become so dependent on. We use the virtual world for multiple sources like; connecting with friends, researching information, booking travel plans, reading digital books, and a wide variety of other methods. On the other hand I definitely do not believe it is always interconnected, I believe it allows for the behavior and has caused many of the cyber bullying cases we hear about every day. I think the anger that is unleashed is something most of the people live with everyday, and the online world allows them to vent without the threat of consequences or recourse. People will do very crazy things if they don’t believe that they will get in trouble or be judged for it and the internet it the perfect storm in it acquiesces to all 3 of these criteria.  At the same time, I ultimately believe people are the ones responsible for what they post on the internet. If you can’t handle the fact that what you put out about yourself will have unexpected or intended backlash, then you need to examine why you are putting things online. While this may not be fair, it is the system that is in place and people need to be careful with what they put on their Facebook or Twitter. The internet is truly a dangerous place when not used properly and the Mob is a great example of what happens when you don’t take care of your information. If you put a video of yourself on Youtube, one can expect a fair amount of criticism. If you can’t handle the heat, get out of the fire. Be responsible and don’t post embarrassing information and one can hopefully avoid the wrath of the mob.  But as long as people are looking for attention and people are allowed to say whatever they want over the internet, the mob figures to be a big part of the process and will remain so until there are actual consequences for the brutish behavior over the internet. But I don’t see this coming anytime soon.