Some perspective, people?

I love this article for its directness, for its honesty, and its tongue-in-cheek snark. What's missing is some relevant research to shed light on why people are more inclined toward bad behavior online than they are in real life (IRL).

While I'm not contributing that insightful research, I can say that I have experienced some of what Popkin describes in her article. During the early days of integrating computers into classrooms, (i.e. the mid 1990s), students used real-time chat session to, ideally, discuss the day's reading. I divided students into online groups in their own group "rooms", gave each group a prompt, and asked them to work together to come up with the best answers. In nearly every group, the online conversation would deteriorate to who was a ho, which guy farted, etc. These were adults, students who were at least 18 in a COLLEGE class. I never heard students speak to each other in this manner while in IRL groups. Never.

Writing from behind the screen can give people the sense of anonymity and removes the filter we should all have and use. Do people really think they won't be tracked down for such bad, and sometimes illegal, behavior? If they're smart or sneaky enough, they do get away with no consequences; other times, employers (or police) find out about the bad things they say and do, seemingly harmlessly and sometimes, they think, anonymously.

If you won't say it to someone's face, don't say it online.