cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/23595782
cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/23595779
Why the internet troll problem is actually a culture problem: how online trolling fits comfortably within today’s media landscape.
Internet trolls live to upset as many people as possible, using all the technical and psychological tools at their disposal. They gleefully whip the media into a frenzy over a fake teen drug crisis; they post offensive messages on Facebook memorial pages, traumatizing grief-stricken friends and family; they use unabashedly racist language and images. They take pleasure in ruining a complete stranger’s day and find amusement in their victim’s anguish. In short, trolling is the obstacle to a kinder, gentler Internet. To quote a famous Internet meme, trolling is why we can’t have nice things online. Or at least that’s what we have been led to believe. In this provocative book, Whitney Phillips argues that trolling, widely condemned as obscene and deviant, actually fits comfortably within the contemporary media landscape. Trolling may be obscene, but, Phillips argues, it isn’t all that deviant. Trolls’ actions are born of and fueled by culturally sanctioned impulses—which are just as damaging as the trolls’ most disruptive behaviors.
Phillips describes the relationship between trolling and sensationalist corporate media—pointing out that for trolls, exploitation is a leisure activity; for media, it’s a business strategy. She shows how trolls, “the grimacing poster children for a socially networked world,” align with social media. And she documents how trolls, in addition to parroting media tropes, also offer a grotesque pantomime of dominant cultural tropes, including gendered notions of dominance and success and an ideology of entitlement. We don’t just have a trolling problem, Phillips argues; we have a culture problem. This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things isn’t only about trolls; it’s about a culture in which trolls thrive.
Thinly veiled spam. Locking.
The starting point for social media is knowing that it’s all a joke. People say (post) things that they would never do in real life. The troll thing is best described as lonely people living miserable lives. In real life they have a horrible attitude and therefore no friends. They also (on the internet) try to idenitfy with a specific group. A group that is cult like in that they have the right answers for everyone. The troll then “enforces” those delusional beliefs on any poster or commenter on social media who disagrees. The troll is incapable as a cult member of having a logical discussion on social media so they simply revert to grammar school behavior and “call names”. In addition to “correcting” anyone who doesn’t think just like them, they “report” all those who are non compliant with their world view. A truly sad life wasted.
I just always assumed trolls are just narcissists that ran out of warm bodies.
After watching dr. Ramani, your description encapsulates her assessment on what a narcissist does because of low self esteem/depression and the need for feeding on controlling people and situations with all their self worth injected into that relevancy.
Lots of people go on long, deliberate trolling campaigns in real life. Harassing the new kid for no reason. Gaslighting the wife so she gets institutionalized. Humiliating the cute coworker because I’m jealous of her. There are some people who don’t think like you do, and not all of them are good.
I’m experiencing a neighborhood trolling campaign against me, going on for +15 years now.
Most people don’t believe me, so i don’t even share this with my family or anyone, anymore.
I learned to live with it, laugh at it and it surprisingly worked out well. With the exception of the core trollers, they keep on trolling. Or try at least.
I feel pity for them. I would hate to be so cruel.
