The realm of the online environment provides its users with an unprecedented opportunity to create a new persona that would represent them in the digital setting. As a result, a lot of people tend to change their communication manner and demeanor when participating in online discussions. I agree with the first student about the lack of fear in the online setting and, therefore, the creation of opportunities for a more honest and open conversation. However, I also believe that the specified lack of repercussions creates the breeding ground for negative types of behavior, such as trolling and cyberbullying. As a result, the person who has been known as having a highly positive attitude or, on the contrary, being very quiet in the offline setting may succumb to cyberbullying in the online setting due to the protective screen of online anonymity.
The comparison between the behaviors of online users and those of robots that the second respondent has provided has given me a lot of food for thought. Due to the specifics of the online environment, people tend to perceive their online interlocutors not as empathetically as they would in a physical conversation (Lee & Kim, 2020). Therefore, the threat of losing one’s empathy in an online discussion, especially when addressing a controversial issue, becomes rather tangible. Personally, I do my best to use the online communication style that aligns with the ethics and etiquette of a real-life conversation, yet it is quite difficult to remain on the specified track when participating in an emotionally charged conversation. Therefore, it is critical to keep reminding oneself that the respondent is a living human being with their emotions and issues. Thus, one will avoid hurting the respondent’s feelings and remain supportive.
Reference
Lee, Y., & Kim, K. H. (2020). De-motivating employees’ negative communication behaviors on anonymous social media: The role of public relations. Public Relations Review, 46(4), 1-8. Web.