Dealing with “Online Disinhibition Effect”

So you decide you want to add some social media to your learning mix. You create a way for people to comment on content. You look forward to having everyone contribute to the discussion, making the content more valuable through the addition of fresh insights, perspectives, and constructive suggestions.

But something’s gone wrong. Instead of fresh insights and perspectives, you’re getting name calling and flame wars. What went wrong? You’re likely experiencing what psychologist refer to as “Online Disinhibition Effect.” If you want to see what online Online Disinhibition Effect is all about, check out the comments on almost any video on YouTube. In an environment of “anonymity and a lack of real consequences for bad behaviour,” some people will say almost anything without reflecting. Within some platforms, these types of comments are permanent additions to the discourse.

Many admins will attempt to solve the problem by changing settings. They’ll require that comments be approved by a moderator. But this can be time consuming for content that receives many comments. Someone will need to read every comment. To address this challenge, some organizations are using software that allows users to vote on the quality of comments. Rather than listing comments chronologically, higher-rated comments migrate to the top of the comment list. Lower-rated comments drop to the bottom or off page one where few people may look. (RN)

Maybe it’s time to muzzle the trolls | The Globe and Mail | Lisan Jutras | 6 June 2010

Tagged as: Social Media