[1] People tend to feel safer saying things online that they would not say in real life because they have the ability to remain completely anonymous and invisible when on particular websites, and as a result, free from potential consequences.
[1] Benign online disinhibition describes a situation in which people get some benefit from the absence of restraint in cyberspace.
[5] With the help of Internet anonymity, people could share personal feelings or disclose themselves in the way they are reluctant to exhibit in real life.
[6] For instance, young people feel relieved when revealing untold secrets or personally embarrassing details in online chats.
[7] Such self-disclosures enable people to establish an intimate interpersonal relationship sooner[8] and stronger when compared with real life face-to-face communication.
However, new technologies employed and coming into force by law enforcement partners are increasingly making it easier to combat cybercrime.
Both anonymity and empathy deficit make it harder to perceive others online as people with feelings because of the lack of facial interaction.
Sixteen-year-old Kimberley Swann was fired from her job due to negative comments she made about her occupation on her Facebook page,[19] while another infamous case involved a woman, Heather Armstrong, being terminated after "lampooning" her colleagues on the Internet.
People that are shy, that feel they cannot talk about certain things in their real lives, and/or that may have no vocal outlet can benefit from online disinhibition without causing harm to others.
[21] Online disinhibition can provide a safe place for people of the LGBTQ community (and other marginalized groups) to share information and support one another.