It’s Getting Hot in Here

In this day and age, communication has never been more easy or accessible. Gone are the days when mailing someone took weeks or months, and telegram stations were everywhere. Modern advancements have presented us with new doors as well as new “weapons” to wield. The gateways are now open, the keyboards are at hand, and with us, we bring our follies. Enter the Great Flame Wars.

A quick internet search defines flame wars as heated arguments between online users, usually dragging it out, thus leading to insults and profanity. All too often, we scroll to see nonsensical debates over any topic under the sun. Repeatedly, we wonder how anyone could pour so much time and effort into arguing with someone from halfway across the world. It is truly amazing how we, as human beings, can be so petty at times.

The origin of flame wars, rather the term flaming, may have originated from the Hacker’s Dictionary from the 1980s. It was defined as “to speak rabidly or incessantly on an uninteresting topic or with a patently ridiculous attitude”. An interesting definition, and one that still holds up its meaning today.

One must wonder, what causes anyone to “flame” or engage in a flame war? Well, a few researchers have theorized that flaming may be down to three factors: online disinhibition, norms, and miscommunication. Online disinhibition is defined as a lack of restraint when engaged in online communications. They presuppose that the anonymity and the lack of physical engagement gives a person a sense of safety, bolstering their confidence to speak out in an online discussion. One may know someone who wouldn’t speak out against a superior in person, but will gladly rant away in an online forum given the chance. The term “keyboard warrior” comes to mind for such a character. With the mighty keyboard by his or her side, no topic is too insignificant and no hour is too much to waste.

The second factor can be described as the normalization of such behavior online. If everyone else is doing it, it must be alright, right? Lastly, the experts also suggest that the lack of physical cues one can gain in a personal discussion possibly leads to misunderstandings. At times, it is hard to decipher the other person’s feelings or tone when conversing online. Do capitalized texts mean shouting? Angry? Confused?

Related to online flaming, the term “cancel culture” too, has gained popularity. Cancel culture is a form of boycott against public figures who have controversies. A recent manifestation of this would be vlogger Buknoy Glamur belittling tricycle drivers, which cost him some 200,000 subscribers and a ton of backlash. Another would be Actress Amber Heard getting canceled from her role in Aquaman after the Johnny Depp ordeal.

But what happens when things get taken too far? It is wise to be cautious when arguing online as the other party may consider harsher words and actions as cyber-harassment or even defamation. Laws may vary, but it may cost you in fines and jail time. You have to rethink if that one “sick burn” is worth wearing the orange uniform for.

The internet is a weird, wild, and wide place. For some, it is considered an escape from life’s stress. For others, it is a channel through which they can freely express. For the odd few, it can be a glorified trashcan where they can dump memes into. However we perceive it, we must always remember to maintain a friendly and non-toxic environment. Anyway, it costs us nothing to be nice to one another.

ILLUSTRATION BY: Chester P. Cortez