Some people think anonymous comments and pseudonyms should be banned online, while others do not. In this essay, I will explore the pros and cons of these arguments and consider whether they should be banned. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”? Get the original essay Anonymous online comments can lead to cyberbullying, hate speech, currently illegal activities, and fraud using false identities. People feel safe behind a pseudonym because it provides a barrier between them and the “real” world. Hiding behind a pseudonym can make a person feel more able to use cruder language and simply be more disgusting to others. On the other hand, banning anonymous comments could harm a person's freedom of expression; it may limit an oppressed individual's ability to seek help, which would limit their ability to experience their identify. People believe that by using a pseudonym they can speak and present their ideas more freely without feeling judged or insignificant. The first call to action to ban anonymous comments came in 2010 when the American Journalism Review said, "It's time for news sites to stop allowing anonymous comments online." Since this bold exclamation occurred, a slew of media outlets, including ESPN, The Huffington Post, Popular Science, Sporting News, and USA Today, have either eliminated comments sections from their publications altogether or implemented a login format for their comments sections. so people have to log in to make a comment, which will hopefully deter people from making rude comments. Also in 2010, Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Leonard Pitts claimed that comments sections that allow people to be anonymous "have become havens for a level of crudeness, intolerance, nastiness, factual inaccuracy and of pure wickedness that shocks the tattered remnants of our society.” On the other hand, it could also mean big things for some business communities: business members who previously were reluctant to join discussions now become less reserved and actively participate in group discussions; certain conversations which may be considered to contain a sensitive subject and which may not have taken place previously may now take place; Sensitive legal issues can be discussed freely because people are not forced to acknowledge their opinions and they feel more comfortable speaking about certain topics because they cannot be personally arbitrated or attacked if something is taken badly. Clearly, guidelines need to be in place for these business communities, but once these are in place, anonymous commenting and participation in online professional venues could foster positive engagement, and more beneficial than that. 'previously. very difficult to remove them all, but maybe it should be a challenge that someone is willing to take on? A study in the United Kingdom found that at least half of youth suicides are linked to bullying, particularly cyberbullying. In recent years, many anonymous online comment sites have encouraged teens to attach the website's hyperlink to their online profile to "see what people really think about you." Sites such asask. fm and sarahah. com pushed teens to anonymously comment on their opinions about other teens. They were hidden behind pseudonyms, or even no names at all, so people were prone to making rude or mean comments that they would never dream of saying to someone's face. Bullying-related suicides can be linked to any form of bullying, including physical and emotional bullying, but especially cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is one of, if not the most common form of bullying among young people today. People feel that because they are hidden behind a screen, they can say whatever they want - and when they are anonymous, it is that much easier to victimize people because they have virtually no means to find out who the “aggressor” is. Some people believe that having anonymous comment sections online can allow them to have freedom of speech. This means they can say whatever they want without any consequences. This can be a blessing for some people. Anonymous comments and questions can be helpful in some ways. They can allow people to ask more personal and sensitive questions without others knowing who asked them, especially since they may be specific to a certain person. Websites such as Yahoo. com provides a safe online space where people can anonymously ask and answer questions that might not otherwise be discussed, or even simple questions that someone may be too embarrassed to ask (e.g. if someone suffers from mental health problems). These anonymous online pages are beneficial to the online world and are good reasons to maintain anonymous comments online. On the other hand, anonymous websites can also be very dangerous, especially for children. Websites such as moviestarplanet. co. uk are easily accessible to children and adults. On these types of websites, you are encouraged to use fake names to protect your identity, but you can speak freely to other users. Older men and women can access these sites and pretend to be young children to "befriend" the innocent children using them. They may form a relationship with the child, then lead them to meet their "online friend", only to later discover that their "friend" is an adult who may harm them. If pseudonyms and anonymous comments were illegal, it could save young people's lives from kidnapping, rape and potentially murder. Some would argue that removing the right to post or comment anonymously could potentially increase the pressures people feel to post/write/comment in a specific way, thereby restricting the extent to which they can express themselves openly. A study by Auburn University found that 89% of anonymous posters would not post if they had to reveal their real name. This completely undermines our right to free speech and, in retrospect, anonymous posting – or posting using a pseudonym – would greatly benefit our society. Sites such as Wikipedia answer. com and references. com all rely on anonymity. They encourage users to post and edit pages on topics they are familiar with or have a level of expertise in so they can share their knowledge with the rest of the world. People use sites like these to gather information for reports and articles. Since these sites are completely anonymous, it is almost impossible to know whether the information is factual or.