Why Social Media Turns Normal People Into Online Bullies

Why Social Media Turns Normal People Into Online Bullies

If you observe a pasar malam long enough, you’ll notice a curious thing: most Malaysians are polite, cooperative, and surprisingly patient. Someone cuts the queue? A few raised eyebrows, maybe. But rarely a public meltdown. Yet the moment these same individuals enter the digital arena, something changes — dramatically. Suddenly, the mild-mannered uncle becomes a rage machine on Facebook. The shy student becomes a combative keyboard warrior. The friendly neighbour becomes a self-appointed prosecutor, judge, and executioner.

Why? Because social media alters behaviour in ways even good people don’t fully recognize.

The first catalyst is anonymity — or at least the illusion of it. Behind a screen, judgment feels distant, consequences feel reduced, and empathy thins out like weak black coffee. When we don’t see the reactions of the people we hurt, the human cost of our words becomes abstract. It’s easy to hit “Send” when we don’t have to watch someone flinch.

Second, the digital crowd amplifies emotion. Anger spreads faster than facts. Outrage gets more likes than reason. Platforms reward intensity, not nuance. And when anger becomes a performance, people become performers. Malaysians who would normally avoid confrontation suddenly find themselves lashing out, not because they are villains, but because the algorithm rewards drama.

The third factor is tribalism. Social media encourages us to pick a side: political party, race narrative, ideology, influencer camp. Once we belong to a tribe, attacking the “other side” feels like duty. The insults become armour, and the bully behaviour becomes loyalty. In Malaysia, this is particularly potent because identity politics has deep, historical roots. Online, those tensions become magnified and weaponised.

Then comes the digital echo chamber. When we surround ourselves with content that confirms what we already believe, we start thinking our opinion is the only rational one — and anyone who disagrees is either stupid, evil, or “brainwashed.” That certainty is fertile ground for bullying. Why debate when it’s easier to demean? Why listen when you can label?

Finally, there is the sobering truth: many are not angry at others — they are angry at themselves, their lives, their frustrations, their disappointments. Online platforms provide an outlet, an escape valve, a place to project what they cannot express in their real-world relationships. Bashing a stranger feels safer than confronting their own unhappiness.

But here’s the uncomfortable part: the internet is not the source of the darkness. It merely reveals it.

The solution is not to shut down platforms but to strengthen the internal compass. Teach digital literacy in schools. Encourage empathy. Promote accountability — legal and social. Most importantly, remind ourselves that behind every profile photo is a real human being who feels, hurts, and remembers.

Normal people don’t become bullies because they’re bad. They become bullies because the digital world makes it easy — and sometimes even rewarding. The real challenge is to choose humanity in a place that constantly tempts us to abandon it.