Why People Are So Rude Online

Trying to scan through the unread newspaper that has piled up in my office today, I came across an interesting article on October 1 in the Wall Street Journal on uncivil and aggressive behavior online. Here are some of the points raised:

Anonymity is a powerful force. Hiding behind a fake screen name makes us feel invincible, as well as invisible.
Most of us present an enhanced image of ourselves online. This boosts our self-esteem. And when we have an inflated sense of self, we tend to exhibit poor self-control. Wanting to protect that enhanced view might be why people are lashing out so strongly at others who do not share their opinions.
We are less inhibited online because we don't have to see the reaction of the people we're addressing.
Because it's harder to see and focus on what we have in common, we tend to dehumanize each other.