Why do people "troll"?

james · 9 November 2017 07:22

The Psychology of the Internet Troll General Discussion

Source We all behave differently when alone. Anonymity frees us from a perceived obligation to act in accordance with certain social norms. For example, most people refrain from picking their nose in public, but dig with abandon when alone. This isn’t revelatory – fear of judgment is a powerful motivator and is well documented by psychologists. So, while most of our anonymous behavior is relatively benign, what happens when it isn’t? In 1981, Leon Mann published a study documenting the phenomenon of suicide baiting. Studying the circumstances surrounding 21 public suicide attempts, Mann observed that in 10 cases victims were jeered and baited to, “jump!” He identified several contributing factors to this anti-social behavior including membership in a large crowd, the cover of night, and relative distance from the victim – all hallmarks of anonymity. The irony here is that while a focused set of watchful eyes keeps us in check, the distracted eyes of many don’t. Anonymity makes all …