From the author: Is online aggression really so harmless? Let's try to figure it out. Aggression on the Internet. Causes and consequences. I think almost every person who uses the Internet has encountered such a phenomenon as “troll” and “trolling”. This is one of the forms of aggression online. In principle, what’s so scary about it, well, a person writes all sorts of nasty things to people he doesn’t know well, and what’s wrong with that, everyone has their own shortcomings :) But is it all so harmless? Let's try to figure it out. We experience emotions and many feelings and mental states, but aggression is probably the most taboo topic. For example, fear, but be afraid as much as you want, and no one will say a word to you, but on the contrary, “if you are afraid, then you respect”, in some structures this is the only form of management. But as soon as aggression appears, something goes wrong! If the teacher yelled at the child and he hid in a corner out of fear, then this is normal, but if this same child, unable to find anything else, simply spat in the face of the evil aunt, that’s all for you! And the corner, and the parents, and show the child to the psychologist that he is aggressive! It’s the same story at school; if you’re shaking before an exam, that’s normal! If I sent them to those organs that they studied in biology in the 9th grade, then everyone, to the director, to the parents at school, “Yes, the colony is crying for you!” Why is this so! There is an explanation for this. If nature gave us this feeling, then it means we need it for something. Aggression is given to us to satisfy needs, the simplest ones at that, survival, biological needs and safety. Other needs also require our activity, but in primitive ones we need obvious animal aggression. In hierarchical systems such as a school, university, kindergarten, or even a maximum security colony, the manifestation of aggression against someone higher in rank is considered the same as in the animal world “You you challenge me,” but direct aggression is not acceptable in some social institutions, so they use verbal aggression or authority (to deprive of a bonus, transfer to another department, demote). And if in the animal world an individual that challenges a senior in the hierarchy runs away with its tail between its legs, and after some time he again takes his position and continues to live, then the person does not know how to react to this emotion. Well, knowing the law of conservation of energy, nothing simply disappears! And all these feelings pour out onto the network! The network is the only place where you can legally react to negative experiences and you won’t get anything for it! Since no one knows who you really are. Hence the reason! You can’t be angry with your parents, you can’t be angry with your kindergarten teacher, your school teacher, your university professor, or your boss, and where should all this stuff go? Online! This is the main popularity of social networks, video hosting sites and aggressive toys! The network is a sewer for draining aggression. Is it so harmless? At first glance, yes, but so what? The man doesn’t hit anyone, doesn’t bite anyone, he just writes nasty things. But every behavior has consequences. Sometimes it turns into obsession, a person gets used to expressing aggression only in this form and can no longer live without it. This form of communication can turn into real communication. If this is a schoolchild or teenager, then there are risks of losing contact with reality , what is possible on the Internet is not always possible in reality, not every adult understands this. This strengthens the split; in reality, one person on the network is completely different. Stable patterns of communication disruption are formed. Also, aggressive behavior on the Internet can act as a way of compensating for one’s inferiority, and complete anonymity and impunity are simply an excellent way of self-support. Well, let’s not forget that sometimes this behavior is a consequence of a mental disorder or even mental illness. Is there a way out? Yes, of course there is! Development of emotional competencies, the ability to identify feelings and the ability to cope with them. Also, skills in socially acceptable ways of responding to feelings and the formation of high-quality healthy communication skills. It is important to know that».