Deindividuation: How Our Loss of Self-Restraint Affects Cyberbullying

In 2021, the Cyberbullying Research Center conducted a survey which concluded that almost 1 in 4 Americans had been cyberbullied in the past month. Undoubtedly, this statistic is concerning: while the digital age has fostered an innovative culture and promoted efficiency, it has clearly also led to an increased sense of ostracisation. 

The question then becomes: why?

Put simply, cyberbullying is heavily influenced by deindividuation—the psychological phenomenon that people loosen their normal constraints of behaviour when they feel hidden. It is for this reason that most trolls use a generic, unidentifiable username; it provides a sense of security and acts as a sort of “cloak.”

Given the above, it becomes clear that psychologically speaking, recent proposals for ID mandates on social media are logical: it would remove the “invisibility” factor that fosters cyberbullying in the first place.

Ultimately, the hope moving forward is that if ID requirements are implemented, perpetrators can more easily be held accountable. Theoretically, this should create a self-sustaining cycle, where cyberbullies realize they are no longer capable of being “invisible” online and are thus deterred from engaging in their harmful behavior. 

We have come to a point where cyberbullying will, unfortunately, never be completely eradicated; nonetheless, with recent “ID mandate” proposals, I am as hopeful as ever that it can at least be alleviated.

References:

(1) https://cyberbullying.org/cyberbullying-statistics-age-gender-sexual-orientation-race

(2) https://www.newsweek.com/its-time-id-verification-social-media-opinion-1611167