I’m bored out of my mind, so I head to a sports blog online and post a random comment about the Ravens returning to the Super Bowl. Within seconds, some stranger named Wilson is telling me to “lay off the pipe.” Ouch.

Snarkiness. It’s something so commonly used, yet so seldomly acknowledged. Few people even realize how often they use it. Even the folks at Dictionary.com can’t describe it, defining “snark” as “a mysterious, imaginary animal”.

Snarkiness, though, is not a unicorn or sasquatch. Rather it’s an offensive tactic. Whenever someone wants to sound smart and witty, they use snarkiness. It’s used when that guy corrects your grammar unnecessarily; when that guy tries to constantly be politically correct; or when that guy tries putting you down with big words, but is really only doing it to feel better about himself.

For some reason, being snide and condescending seems to be something that’s encouraged in today’s society. The most likely culprit is the internet. The internet has undeniably become a safehaven for people exerting their intellectual “superiority” over others. If someone where that snarky in person, sooner or later somebody would punch him or her in the face.

Try reading the comments of a news article, specifically about controversial, two-sided issues. Practically every comment is a response to another user, generally calling that person an idiot, and other, less appropriate words. Though some reasonable people actually craft strong arguments and use message boards for legitimate purposes, many others resort to the overused and painfully misspelled “your an idiot” comment.

Needlessly hating people is becoming increasingly popular. Just look at political polls: Congress’ approval rating is at a record low right now, but I’d bet that very few people could really articulate why they disapprove. Why? Because bashing on other people, especially people in power, is just hip nowadays.

Even at Whitman football games, snarkiness is prevalent. Ever notice how chanting “bulls**t” at referees brings out the spirit of even the least-involved fans? It’s because they like being part of a majority that enjoys the satisfaction of putting somebody down.

With the internet, people can hide in large crowds, where they won’t get caught and punished for their actions. But snarkiness is a slippery slope. I don’t fault people for wanting to feel better about themselves, or desiring to feel “intelligent.” But harming others’ self-esteem in the process is no way to do it.