TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Following the rapid growth of social media, many people are more than willing to write negative comments to people they do not know personally in real life. This phenomenon is often seen in the comments section of a celebrity’s social media post.

This is surely a contrast to what people participate in real life affairs, especially upon giving a comment to their own friends or families. So why are people bound to be more comfortable in giving a negative comment to strangers compared to people we personally know?

“A theory states that negatively commenting strangers would make us feel more positive about ourselves. If we issue a negative comment to the people we personally know, we would also view ourselves negatively,” said Tara de Thouars, clinical psychologist at the Sanatorium Dharmawangsa Mental Health Hospital (RSJ) in South Jakarta yesterday.

Voicing negative remarks toward the people we know will give a negative impact toward ourselves since the person is within our friendship circle. Meanwhile, we would not be personally affected if we give negative comments to people we do not personally know, which further drives the habit.

“Nowadays, people would visit social media every day and easily criticize other people whom we do not know. We must start educating the people around us to stop that habit,” said Tara. She explained that negative comments would have an impact even if the person that is targeted ignores such comment.

ASTARI PINASTHIKA SAROSA