Psychology of Trolling

The whole concept behind trolling is that the users or "trolls" want to get a reaction or response from someone. There are many different kinds of "trolls" so each "troll" wants to get their own specific type of reaction or reponse. Some troll because they want to upset or anger other people. Others do it because they want to produce laughter. 

There are six key factors on why there are trolls or why people are more likely to troll on the internet. First is dissociative anonymity which means you are able to hide your real identity online. The second is invisibility because you do not actually see the person you are trolling so it desensitizes your actions. The third is time disconnect or asynchronicity meaning you do not have to respond right away; you can respond on your own time. The other factors involve dehumanizing and disconnecting online actions from reality.

What we need to understand is that social media or anything online act only as an amplifer to our actions. Actions such as bullying or saying racial slur are not justified simply because it is online. Online websites such as social media sites or even gaming sites have become so prevalent that they do not disconnect us from reality but it is an extension of reality now. Although the intent of some "trolling" might just be playful, we should always be careful on what we say to other people even on the internet.

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