While using the Internet it is easy to encounter examples of hateful people. These days almost any Internet Forum or website comment’s section is filled with people designed to piss you off. It is as if these people had nothing else to do but to make your day miserable. The sad truth is, they do not. Many people these days feel it is their right to say the most vile, hateful and evil things possible to anyone with no consequences. While freedom of speech is a good thing, it does not mean you can tell someone to die, or how you wish you could kill them or their families, or to go burn in a fire. These days the above statements are all to common.
Why do people feel the need to say such hateful and evil things? The short answer is thus: because they can. One of the key features of the Internet is anonymity. When you post on a forum or a chat room your true identity is hidden. This allows you to say anything you wish with little personal consequences. If your online name receives to much negative attention, you change names, and no one knows what you have said in the past. This results in the birth of a troll, a person online who’s sole purpose is to disrupt and cause damage. What are a troll’s goals, and why bother? A troll wants others to suffer, period. By insulting, yelling, and spreading hate, they receive pleasure in the responses of others. The worst thing you can do to a troll is to show it you care about it’s opinion. The only weapon against a troll is to ignore it. A troll hates the world, and those in it, and receives a perverse pleasure in watching others suffer.
Is the troll an act, or is it the core personality of the person? I believe most trolls show their core personality while trolling. Online, they are free to be the people they wish to be, without worrying about going to jail, loosing relationships, or loosing their jobs. In the real world, there are consequences towards extreme negative behavior. If you go to a random person on the street and tell them to die in a fire, you might get beat up. A troll, however, receives no punishment for his actions. He is free to repeat until he gets board and moves on.
For me, the best example of a person is who they are when no one is watching. The Internet is the perfect example. The problem is, there are millions of trolls. Millions and millions of sick, twisted people who thrive on hate and suffering.
In the above screenshot, the brother of a player in World of Warcraft is informing other players that his brother had died in real life. The first comment is a troll who states if he dropped anything when he died, as occurs if you die in the World of Warcraft. It’s clear that the death of another human being means nothing, as long as you can make a joke out of it, or cause pain. The whole thing could be a well crafted joke, but giving the nature of the Internet, I doubt it.
There are many people out there who go to online forums and post their opinions. Some wish honest debate, others only wish to shove their opinions at others. If you visit an online forum and post often, ask yourself this question: why am I doing it? What is your motivation? I have known people who post on sites and get very upset with others troll them. Even through they get upset, they continue to post. Why? Are you trying to convince others of your beliefs, our yourself? Is it as simple as wanting to see your words in print, even if it is in a place that matters little? Or, is it you want to make others hear you, because you want validation and attention?
The next time your posting online, stop and ask yourself why you are doing so. If everyone did this, we would have far fewer trolls. If you do not like it when you are insulted, do not insult others. It is simple manners. If others do not possess basic manners, stop talking to them! They are not worth your time. I rarely post on forums, as I do not have time to waste it on people who wish to troll. I do not need the validation.
To conclude, stop feeding the trolls! Ignore these jerks like the poison they are. They are not worth your time.
Image 1 Source: Here.
Image 2 Source: Here.
About the author: Psychcomp is owned and maintained by Nathan Driskell, a Licensed Professional Counselor - Intern specializing in Internet Addiction and Asperger's Disorder. Nathan is also a Web Designer and Network Administrator.
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Tags: Internet Hate, Trolls
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“first comment is a troll who states if he dropped anything when he died, as occurs if you die in the World of Warcraft. It’s clear that the death of another human being means nothing, as long as you can make a joke out of it, or cause pain. The whole thing could be a well crafted joke, but giving the nature of the Internet, I doubt it.”
Can you imagine how the bereaved person felt after that? Deep, untold pain.
As for the ‘die in a fire’ comments that some people leave: I wonder if they’ve ever been in a burning building themselves (in actual, real life that is)? I’ve experienced something of this and I couldn’t even stand 10 seconds in there (…and I wasn’t the only one). With their glib, so-called ‘cool’ put downs, do they really have any idea what they’re talking about?
Thank you for this, Nathan.
I would guess most of these people have not been in real bad situations like that, but just want to cause pain. They do not know what they are talking about, but they do not care. You cannot reason with someone like that, best to move on.