are Youtube comments representative of society?

[dimpy.handa]

You can't escape all the ridiculous youtube users with their perverse/hateful comments and I find it disheartening to see all these radical comments from neocons, racists, sexists ect. I guess I worry for mankind when I am messaged with comments like the ones below. I can't comprehend the mindset. Grammatical errors aside does anyone else worry for the human race when they see youtube comments like "I want lick her skid marks" as top rated comments on a video of hillary clinton?


"no trust me, where i go to school, is something you cannot and never will be able to afford.

 

[shivibhanot]

In general terms I think that where there is no accountability people tend to act like assholes.
Writing anonymously on youtube is one such place.

On volconvo on the other hand, we're held to account for acting like dickheads so trolls, wums and other menaces are removed.

It's actually quite an interesting aspect of humanity.
I read about an experiment (in Scientific American, I think). People could anonymously choose how much money to split with another anonymous party. If there was somebody looking at them or even a picture of eyes in the room they were more generous.

Looting when there is no law enforcement is another example.

In short; it seems like a large portion of society is represented by Youtube comments and the only thing that stops a shitstorm of pointless name calling and general idiocy is a mixture of social pressure and law enforcement.