My view is that some people use it to pick on other people just to be jerks. The person can be doing nothing wrong and there is still going to be a jerk that is going to antagonize and ridicule another person. Now I know this from experience because I have had people on message boards do it.
Soon enough it’s bound to drive some people over the edge and start acting out violently. There is a huge difference between having fun making jokes, and constantly being a crude ahole.
Now I happen to believe they feel tough and nice because you don’t have to worry about someone hitting you because they aren’t with that person in the same area.