>people see freedom of speech sites as that place you can do everything you can't on other places, rather than a place with less restrictions.
A question I have is: when given the freedom to do whatever on the internet, why do they usually choose to do the most ragebaiting, shitposty, low-effort, or just plain unfun thing possible?

The reasons I can think of are:
-The 2020-2023 virus pandemic and social isolation forced almost everyone online. A lot of them "became retarded" (for lack of a better word) after prolonged exposure to the internet.
-Rage feels amazing: nothing like being able to insult some stranger while feeling like you're better than them
-Replies, Likes and (You)s are similar to a social interaction and make you feel good. Farming them by shitposting is effective.
-Whatever causes dicksword servers and r*dd*t moderation groups to devolve into drama. It seems way too common to be random bad actors.
-The people calling for and cheering the increasing restrictions placed on the internet are "worthless pieces of shit" that they hate. Yelling every edgy, "dark humor", offensive statement against them is an act of defiance that makes them feel good (as mentioned in the "rage" point).
-Too much irony and sarcasm.