Trolling (online bullying) is increasingly common and seems to be getting worse. Dr Daniel Trottier of ESHCC's Media and Communications Department is researching how people bully, threaten audiences and 'play detective' themselves on online media. He was interviewed by UK journalist Helen Coffey of The Independent about trolling and online cruelty.
A recent example of trolling is Baby Reindeer's real-life 'Martha', who was tracked down, hounded, harassed, and threatened online. Also the recent disappearance of British teenager Jay Slater has exposed the horrifying cruelty of social media, the Indepenent writes. From making jokes, to harassment and threats, to people becoming an ‘armchair detective’ from their homes and putting out all sorts of theories.
The widening of demographics who feel it is their right or even their duty to involve themselves in these cases has become much more mainstream in recent years, partly accelerated by lockdowns spent on the internet, says Dr Trottier: “The internet became our window to the world."
"This development has to do with people feeling out of control in a changing digital landscape. It goes hand in hand with a growing scepticism towards the mainstream media. "Do your research," has become the regular battle cry of conspiracy forums like QAnon and 4Chan; becoming an armchair detectives and questioning the motivations behind, say, a grieving family's GoFundMe page (like Jay Slater's) instead of sympathising with them, people feel they are doing exactly that."
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Together with Dr Sara Polak of Leiden University, Trottier wrote a book on this current and relevant topic: Violence and Trolling on Social Media: History, Affect, and Effects of Online Vitriol. In it, they explain how trolling and online misbehaviour come about, how to deal with its impact, and how to address and counter this harassment on social media in a post-truth world.
Download the open access book
