A keyboard man or keyboard warrior (Chinese: 键盘侠) is someone who expresses and exhibits aggression against others on the internet.
Contents
The concept gained attention online after May 28, 2014, when six cult QuanNengShen members publicly murdered a woman in a McDonald's restaurant in Zhaoyuan City, Shandong Province, China. The term was used to refer to online dissidents who criticized bystanders for not helping the woman.
On June 4, 2014, People’s Daily published an editorial calling for public action and expressing discontent with keyboard warrior behavior. That triggered a nationwide discussion.
Origin
The term was originally coined by People's Daily to refer to people who took to the internet to express their dissent over the QuanNengShen Cult incident.
Analysis
Bi, a commentator from the People’s Daily, suggests that "having a double standard will not contribute to a harmonious society. The keyboard men who call for justice and good Samaritan acts on the internet would not act as they promised in reality. They blame other people’s apathy while finding excuses for themselves to avoid taking action."
Keyboard warriors are believed to affect social media. Some have expressed that their diverse opinions are examples of free speech. It has also, however, caused serious online altercations. According to Karuna Medan, it is "marked with a great sense of openness, social media has proven itself to be the greatest bastion of free speech with governments usually refraining from interfering in this domain. Users online are posting, uploading photos and videos and commenting about the reckless utterances of irresponsible politicians, without considering how it vilifies other groups or people."