IF there’s one thing that social media has done for all of us it is to take the gloves off and introduce us to bare-knuckle fighting.

It seems not very long ago, few people apart from those actively looking for a fight, would indulge in nasty name-calling or vicious comments simply because they either didn’t agree with someone else or just didn’t like the look of them.

Now, Twitter and Facebook in particular allow everyone to say whatever comes into their head – however mean and cruel. Two very good examples of this occurred last week.

In one, Harry Potter author J K Rowling gave £1 million to the Scottish “No” campaign only to be targeted by Tartan Trolls who posted a variety of nasty personal comments online.

Apart from harming their own cause, they’re offering abuse they would probably never say to her face but feel is perfectly acceptable posted online anonymously.

Then there was Hollie Robinson, bullied physically and verbally at school and then attacked relentlessly online including a 200-name petition telling her she was “ugly” and to kill herself.

Fortunately, she had the best possible revenge after finally changing schools – growing up into a beautiful young woman and becoming Miss Blackpool.

A quick glance at any area of social media reveals people airing their private anger in tirades of vile abuse, sometimes aimed at others at very vulnerable times like when they have just lost a child to illness or accident. And what sort of twisted mind-set must that involve?

We laugh now at those black and white British films showing we Brits’ famous “stiff upper-lip” under all trying circumstances including war and personal trial. We find that old-fashioned lack of emotion funny because it looks so unnatural.

But, there is plainly much to be said for personal restraint. If you were sitting in the pub having a drink and someone was being loud and unpleasant, it’s relatively unlikely you would get up and give them a tirade of abuse. This, however, is exactly what happens online.

The big difference there is that the person involved is unlikely to turn round and give you a slap whereas online, apparently, we are all now free to speak our minds on all subjects, however unsuitable.

No. Let’s get back to some personal discipline and perspective and tone it down with reasonable and constructive comments where appropriate. It’s what civilised people do.