Toxic

With online communication, being toxic is any act or statement that is purposefully inflammatory, offensive, rude, racist, or discriminatory. Toxic behavior can cause others to have a less enjoyable time and usually is very disrespectful. Toxicity ranges from mild, like griefing in a game or trolling as a joke, to severe, like hate speech or threats of violence.

Why are people toxic?

People generally exhibit toxic behavior online due to a combination of factors, including those below.

• Poor social skills - They may not know how to respond proportionately when frustrated or upset. This concept, combined with others listed below, can lead to online toxicity.
• Online Disinhibition Effect - Some users are emboldened because being online creates the perception of having a "barrier" between themselves and others. It can result in someone behaving in a way they wouldn't in person, as the threat of physical confrontation isn't there.
• Lack of empathy - Experiencing someone's negative reaction to a comment in person (for most people) elicits empathy; people tend to feel bad when they see they've hurt someone else's feelings. This element can be absent in an online environment.

Computer slang, Cyberbully, Doxing, Ethics, Game terms, Internet terms, Malicious, Poe's law