Why are people you meet in chat rooms so weird, manipulative and deceptive?

[Beta Ray B]

When I talk to anyone online, I always remember there's a real human being on the other end who should be treated with the same respect as anyone in real life. But no one else does the same! People drop you so easily, tell lies, pretend to be someone else, or insult you just to see how you'll react. You gotta put on your armour before going online, and expect to be used and treated like another person's plaything, then thrown in the garbage.

I've met guys pretending to be girls, and girls who act nice just so it hurts more when they delete you which was their plan all along. Also girls that post pics that are obviously fake, expect you to buy things for them, or tell you they love you after like 10 seconds of chatting. WTF. Sometimes they'll talk to you for two hours, then abruptly disappear forever. Or sit there like a log, expecting you to supply 99% of the conversation. Or say they're dying or suicidal to gain sympathy. If I make plans to meet someone online at a certain time, they don't show up. Everyone is playing some sort of game. People seem to fall in "love" instantly and then break up just as fast. Words mean nothing and everyone is flaky, unreliable, unstable, and barely capable of conversation. It's like the flakiest, most manipulative weirdos on Earth have all gathered online, and the only way to interact with them unscathed is to be one of them - ie. become someone who takes nothing seriously and regards others as meaningless nothings to be toyed with. Because if you don't take this cynical attitude, you could easily become the next Manti Te'o!

I'm not even looking for a relationship. All I want is to have a decent conversation with someone who is actually genuine and not playing a role! Why is that so rare??

[Sam]

Those things happen because of the anonymity. You shouldn't expect any sort of manners/etiquette online.