Keeping internet communities healthy is the job of the leaders and citizens of those communities.
Without conscious leadership these communities decay and destroy themselves and leach out into the real world where they harm actual individuals and our culture.
Hank Green on communities. I agree with him very much. In the Wikimedia Movement we are getting better at this.
Related, I enjoyed this rather long and nuanced approach to understanding how Wikipedia 1 and mental illness intersect.
To the hardcore editor who becomes enmeshed in the thicket of talk pages, admin noticeboard debates and never-ending arguments about every bit of minutiae ever conceived, it can reveal some of the worst aspects of human behavior, including abuse, harassment, and threats of physical violence. It can be difficult to separate the anonymous keyboard warriors simply amusing themselves by pushing buttons from those who intend to act on threats to harm others, or themselves.
Note: The subtext to the title of this post is an opinion of mine. That some people who lash out and express outrage online often are dealing with issues in their personal lives and their interactions online can complicate that. Success, or lack thereof, in life can make the distance of the Internet a place to take out your anger, reach out to help others, or seek solace among comrades – depending on your health and access.
If you are not feeling well and think you need someone to talk to, please find a mental health professional. It is the best thing you can do – it can literally save your life.