What is the psychology of Internet trolls?

What is the psychology of Internet trolls?

Through an online survey completed by over 400 Reddit users, the study found that individuals with dark triad personality traits (narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy) combined with schadenfreude – a German word meaning that one derives pleasure from another’s misfortune – were more likely to demonstrate trolling …

Is being an Internet troll illegal?

Criminal laws.

Trolling is not a crime under federal law. But under the laws of many states, harassment, stalking, and bullying are illegal. For more information, see Cyberbullying Laws by State.

Who are the people considered as Internet trolls?

A troll is Internet slang for a person who intentionally tries to instigate conflict, hostility, or arguments in an online social community. Platforms targeted by trolls can include the comment sections of YouTube, forums, or chat rooms.

What is an example of trolling?

An Example of Trolling:
Entering an online discussion on astronomy and insisting that the earth is flat in order to provoke an emotional and verbal response from community members. This may be a relatively tame example,but the intent is still to disrupt and incite outrage.

What is the motivation behind trolling?

Three key motivations to troll emerged: personal enjoyment, revenge, and thrill-seeking. Trolling also appears to be a cyclical, self-perpetuating phenomenon enabled by the online community at large. Theoretical implications for future trolling research are also discussed.

Is trolling a coping mechanism?

Contrary to cyberbullies, who try to let others down to feel better about themselves, as a self-destructive coping mechanism, trolls get their ego boosted by hurting others. Therefore, any reply they get is sensed as a new opportunity to cause damage and elevate their self-esteem, reinforcing their behavior.

How do you fight internet trolls?

Defeat Internet Trolls with These 10 Techniques

1. Don’t Feed the Trolls. The classic internet adage still holds merit.
2. Add Moderators to Your Roster.
3. If You Can’t Ignore the Trolls, Call Their B.S.
4. Kill Them with Kindness.
5. Disarm Them with Humor.
6. Block, Ban, or Report Trolls.
7. Decompress Before You Reply.
8. Stay Professional.

Can you be jailed for trolling?

Posting harmful personal information on the internet in violation of California 653.2 PC is a misdemeanor. Penalties can include up to one year in county jail and/or a fine of up to $1,000.

How do you tell if someone is trolling you?

Read on for more on what to do when trolls attack.
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But there are some telltale signs that you’ve been trapped by a social media mischief-maker:

1. You feel agitated.
2. They don’t make sense.
3. They are not staying on topic.
4. They’re calling you names.
5. They’re condescending.
6. They’re relentless.

How do you shut down a troll?

Here’s how you can shut them down.

1. Don’t Feed the Trolls. The classic internet adage still holds merit.
2. Be the Boss! No Trolls Allowed.
3. Add Moderators to Your Roster.
4. If You Can’t Ignore the Trolls, Call Their B.S.
5. Kill Them with Kindness.
6. Disarm Them with Humor.
7. Have Friends-Only Social Profiles.
8. Block, Ban, or Report Trolls.

How does trolling affect mental health?

Trolling can cause significant negative effects and harm others it significantly affects physiological and psychological health such as disturbed sleep, depression, low self-esteem, self-harm and suicidal ideation and in some cases, it may lead to suicide.

Are Internet trolls intelligent?

They have cognitive empathy, but not affective empathy.
There’s also cognitive empathy, which is the ability to understand and analyze the feelings of others but not feel them yourself. Internet trolls have lots of cognitive empathy and it helps them figure out exactly what to say that will upset you the most.

Are trolls psychopaths?

As the study’s abstract puts it, “Results indicate that when high on trait psychopathy, trolls employ an empathic strategy of predicting and recognizing the emotional suffering of their victims, while abstaining from the experience of these negative emotions.

What are three characteristics of a troll?

Here are some common signs that someone is trolling: Patronising or dismissive tone: asking someone why they are so angry winds them up more. Off-topic comments: remarks unrelated to the thread irritate other users. Being oblivious: apparently being emotionally unaffected by anything aimed at them.

Who is the biggest Internet troll?

Kenneth McCarthy (born c. 1980), popularly known as Ken M, is an Internet troll known for his comments on news websites such as Yahoo! and The Huffington Post.

What happens when you ignore a troll?

Internet Trolls are emboldened by anonymity on social media platforms and lack of consequence for bad behavior. Ignoring a troll’s malicious and antisocial behavior can actually make this problem worse. Ignoring troll abuse often silences the victim and makes the web a much less safe place to be.

Can you sue Internet trolls?

However, doxxing is often used in tandem with threats or demands, which may be illegal extortion. And while you may be able sue a troll for defamation over inflammatory comments posted on your posts or Facebook wall, most insults or abrasive Internet comments are simply opinions and are not actionable in court.

Is trolling a personality trait?

It is hardly surprising, then, that trolling is considered by many a type of anti-social behaviour and is strongly associated with sadistic personality disorder. People who like trolling others online have also been found to enjoy hurting others in real life — a classic sign of a sadist (Buckels et al., 2019).

Is it best to ignore trolls?

It helps to remember that trolls don’t actually believe what they’re posting, so you can’t beat them with logic or fact. When you’re being trolled, the best thing to do is to ignore the posts. Eventually, they’ll probably tire themselves out.

Why is difficult to ignore a troll?

Because sometimes fighting a troll sends a message to everyone else. Sometimes it sets a standard of what is and isn’t acceptable behavior. Sometimes it speaks the truth when the troll has been speaking untruth. Sometimes it gives others language for what they know but can’t express to be true.

What causes someone to troll?

There are many reasons why people might troll online, and it’s different from one troll to the next. Dr Mark Griffiths, Professor of Behavioural Addiction at Nottingham Trent University said: “Most people troll others for either revenge, for attention seeking, for boredom, and for personal amusement.”

Is trolling narcissistic?

‘Online trolls have been described as self-aggrandizing, individualistic, and unremorseful in their behavior,’ reads the study published in the journal of Social Media and Society. ‘Research suggests that trolls possess dark personality traits, including psychopathy, narcissism, sadism, and Machiavellianism. ‘

What are female trolls called?

A huldra is a female troll who can enchant you with her song. Here you can (safely) hear to the original song of Huldra, recorded during an expedition of brave men traveling to the Kjosfossen waterfall.

How do you respond to a troll?

Here are four ways you can respond to comment trolls:

1. Ignore Them.
2. Acknowledge the Commenter’s Misunderstanding.
3. Engage in Thoughtful Debate.
4. Admit When You’re Wrong.

Why do people troll in person?

Reasons for trolling vary from person to person. Some people do it out of boredom, and some want to get a response from the celebrity they idealize. Some do it for seeking attention, while there may be others who have negative social potency.