The psychological phenomenon where
people behave more openly, aggressively, or cruelly online than they would in person,
due to factors like anonymity, invisibility, lack of immediate feedback, and the perception that online actions have no real‑world consequences. The effect explains why gangharassment, cliqueposting, and banlighting thrive:
people feel freed from accountability, and the emotional weight of harming another person is muted by the screen. Understanding this effect is crucial to recognizing that online cruelty is not just “how
people are” but a product of the environment.