Today's blog is about internet trolls. A “troll”, in internet slang, is someone who deliberately upsets others by starting arguments or posting unnecessarily inflammatory messages on blogs, chatrooms, or forums.
The very fact you are here reading this shows you are au fait with the internet and I'm sure most of you will have come across 'Trolls', whether its on social networks, like Facebook, or forums or Twitter, there are many platforms for these trolls to spew their hateful venom.
What makes these trolls think they can be deliberately be nasty to others? Is it that they find it easy online because they can hide under a fake profile or name? I doubt they would go up to a stranger in the street and vent their abuse to their face, for they would be too cowardly for that. Internet trolls are bullies and like all bullies they are cowards.
Feeding Trolls i.e. just causes them to keep up their abuse, so blocking these people from your profile is the obvious thing to do. However me personally I don't feel it's right these cowards get away with it, so I name and shame them and humiliation works well turning the tables on them. I politely tell the troll abuse is wrong and I haven't abused them and I tell them a few home truths before I block them I also take some screen shots of my computer screen for evidence and I will post these publicly to warn others what they are like so they can avoid them and they can see for themselves the abuse was unwarranted. Which leads me on to some examples I've come across personally.
SNAPSHOT EXAMPLES
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The following is from the "Independent" newspaper about research into 'Trolling'
Canadian researchers have confirmed what most people suspected all along: that internet trolls are archetypal Machiavellian sadists.
In a survey conducted by the group of psychologists, people who partake in so-called trolling online showed signs of sadism, psychopathy, and were Machiavellian in their manipulation of others and their disregard for morality.
The researchers defined online trolling as “the practice of behaving in a deceptive, destructive, or disruptive manner in a social setting on the Internet” for no purpose other than their pleasure.
To achieve the results, the team asked internet users about subjects including how much time they spend online, and whether they comment on websites such as YouTube.
They were also given tests that measured their responses against psychology's "Dark Tetrad": narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy and a sadistic personality.
Questions also surrounded sadistic statements including: ''I enjoy physically hurting people,” “I enjoy making jokes at the expense of others” and “I enjoy playing the villain in games and torturing other characters.”
“It was sadism, however, that had the most robust associations with trolling of any of the personality measures,” said psychologists from the University of Manitoba, University of Winnipeg and University of British Columbia in an article published in the ‘Personality and Individual Differences’ journal.
It went on to claim that trolls are “agents of chaos” that exploit “hot-button issues” to inflame and exploit users’ emotions,
"If an unfortunate person falls into their trap, trolling intensifies for further, merciless amusement. This is why novice Internet users are routinely admonished, 'Do not feed the trolls!'," the study warned.
The team concluded that those who enjoyed trolling more than other activities, such debating and making friends, had tendencies in line with the psychological “Dark Tetrad”.
Perhaps most worryingly, the psychologists based their conclusion on cyber-trolling being an “Internet manifestation of everyday sadism,” rather than merely on online phenomenon.
It is thought the findings may contribute towards a trend of sites such as YouTube and the Huffington Post requiring users to comment using registered accounts rather than allowing anonymous posts.
Astrid Brown (Author)
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