Meet the neopaths, the psychopaths of social networks

Neopath is the conjunction of the Greek words neo (new) and pathos (suffering). This word signals individuals who enjoy causing dollars through any of the social networks

Psychopaths have discovered in new technologies an extremely beneficial environment. Neopaths use social networks to express their hatred, attack others and even to spread their crimes. Although the term is recent, we are facing a phenomenon of great relevance.

Murderers, terrorists and rapists turn social networks into their shop window. These platforms have millions of users around the world, and there are people who long to “be someone” for a day, wishing to show their work, their crime or their violent act to a wide audience.

In a digital environment where it seems that everything is possible and filters are scarce, such acts have become increasingly common in the last decade. However, the existence of individuals capable of committing such atrocities is as alarming as the fact that there is always someone willing to witness such situations live.

Criminal scenario

The internet can become an ally for those with narcissistic and psychopathic tendencies. Neopaths are individuals who take advantage of the internet to express their hatred and, in many cases, their underlying mental disorders. This implies that we are not only dealing with people who present psychopathic traits, but also with individuals who may suffer from psychosis, schizophrenia, delusions, or who exhibit high aggressiveness and repressed frustration.

In addition, there is one undeniable aspect that distinguishes them from ordinary criminals: they seek to be seen, they want to achieve popularity through their actions without worrying about the repercussions. Although the term neopath is not found in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders as a clinical category, it does reflect a reality that encompasses various pathological conditions.

Young men

Neopaths are predominantly young men, constituting the most common profile. These are digital natives who use social networks as a platform to express their hatred, attack specific individuals and carry out humiliation campaigns against certain groups. They seek to attract the attention of others through new technologies, with the aim of achieving notoriety in the virtual field.

These individuals have a particular history. They have not developed healthy relationships with their social environment and may have experienced abuse during their childhood, as well as neglect by their parents. In addition, they have often been victims of bullying at school.

His intellectual influences are usually extreme, encompassing ideologies such as Nazism, as well as figures of criminal notoriety, such as serial killers. They are characterized by being unstable people, with underlying mental disorders and poor control over their impulses.

Out of control

The existence of various types of neopaths suggests that, despite the fact that the Internet and social networks have been present for years, there is currently little control over the content that is published on these platforms. Unfortunately, there is also a lack of oversight in the management of threats that arise in cyberspace. Although there are some mechanisms designed to stop the proliferation of this type of content, those that manage to escape can become extremely dangerous.

The problem lies not only in the fact that what was going to happen was anticipated without anyone being able to intervene, but also in the fact that the content published on the networks is extremely difficult to eliminate, even when one intends to stop its dissemination. This applies not only to videos of school shootings, but also to recordings of rapes, snuff videos and other materials depicting crimes, the circulation of which on the Internet becomes practically unlimited once they are uploaded.

For this reason, it is essential to use the networks responsibly. This implies not only being cautious with what is published, aware that others may misinterpret our information, but also to properly report any content that represents a serious danger to society or that evidences the commission of a crime. Although it will be very difficult to remove such content, the person responsible will have to be accountable to the competent authorities, which could help prevent really heinous acts.