AustLit

'Venting on the internet is awfully handy. As much as any other decent rage outlet - punching pillows, playing violent sports, yelling at loved ones - the internet's diverse proliferation of ventspaces allows us to move past problems without having to find the resources to tackle them head on. When used in moderation, and managed appropriately, cyber-rage provides folks with an effective short-term coping mechanism; a cathartic, diffusive rage surrogate. But unlike hastily-scrawled, Sharpie-penned lavatory graffiti, online tags often have a broader reach than one intends or remembers. Tweeting angrily about problems - or tweeting angrily about irrelevant things rather than dealing with said problems - can sometimes be more analogous to punching a pillow full of bees.' (Publication abstract)