Internet Troll: Consequences of Internet Trolling

Student’s Name Professor’s Name Subject Internet Troll Internet use has had a significant impact on the way people communicate and socialize with each other by transforming how we acquire, share and debate information. The transformation in the art of conversation and socializing has its bright and dark sides. Online trolling has increasingly gained more notoriety with an increase in trolling activities such as malicious attacks and online harassment, inflammatory conversations and cyberbullying, sharing hurtful and defaced imagery among other unethical online with little or no care for the victims. As an online vice, internet trolling should be treated more seriously to protect online users from being affected psychologically, physically and socially in their lives. Consequences of Internet Trolling Increased media coverage of trolling activities has exposed the shameful vice while at the same time accounting for its spread among the internet users. Online trolling is defined as the practice of behaving deceptively, in a destructive or upsetting manner on the internet by invading a social setting without a justifiable cause (Buckels, Trapnell and Paulhus, 2014, p. 97). According to Hardaker, there are four significant characteristics namely aggression, disruption, deception and success that define trolling (2010, p. 216). Internet trolls can also take advantage of popular discussion to cause misinformation or divert attention from the main subject of debate. Jensen (2018) contend that trolls can use such misinformation even in critical situations such as in the US election to sway public opinions. Online users deliberately and intentionally pass insincere and false information to other online users by attempting to appear as a legitimate member contributing to a conversation. Often using fake online identities, trolls willfully and knowingly post inconsistent information that is likely to have an impact on affected internet users. Deception propagated by internet trolling may have adverse consequences to other internet users. Online trolling is also associated with aggressive and malicious behavior that ultimately annoys other internet users and may encourage and provoke others to retaliate escalating conversations in social settings to an unmanageable scale. Aggressive and malicious harassment by internet trolls has been reported to cause loss of confidence and reduced self-esteem among the victims (Griffiths, 2014; Escartin, 2015). Additionally, Hardaker observes that victims of online trolling often face public embarrassment within the online social circles as and may also prompt other online users to resort to mock the victims openly after falling for the troll (2010, p. 232). The wellbeing of online users is at risk due to the inconsiderate attacks of internet trolling. Internet trolling continues to cause adverse psychological effects to troll victims that are comparable to offline and physical harassment. Craker & March (2016) note that trolling can lead to an extreme psychological impact on the victims such as the increased urge to harm and hurt themselves and in extreme cases, generate suicidal ideas. Cambria, Chandra, Sharma, and Hussain (2010) contend adding that there have cases recorded of teenagers committing suicide as a result of extreme online abuse and trolling. Jane (2015), however, notes that while depression and suicide are complex issues that are likely to be caused multiple factors, online trolling and cyberbullying cannot be overruled. Excessive trolling targeting certain members or ideas in online discussions needs to be tamed to prevent cases of involving physical harming, attempting or committing suicide. Internet users are often engaging in meaningful discussions and debates meant for general consumption and welfare of the members. Infiltration of trolls, however, is likely to undermine such discussions by adding irrelevant and controversial ideas in conversation space. Coles and West (2016) observe that presence of trolls in a social space is detrimental to the community’s intentions and goals and is likely to halt meaningful discussions and possibly bring the debate to an end. Additionally, trolls attacks can turn a rather peaceful and engaging discussion into a hostile online space unattractive for civil debate and is likely to push other interested users from participating in the debate. By discrediting valid discussion points and questions, online trolls making specific online platforms inhospitable for discussion and are likely to downgrade the reputation of the online community and the issues being discussed. The deceptive nature of the internet trolls has been associated with emotional breakdowns and loss of trust due to the invasions made by the trolls. Pulman and Taylor (2012), for instance, the point at the internet trolls who deliberately focus their attention and attacks to online support groups. Such trolls are likely to cause emotional damage to victims seeking emotional support. Additionally, false stories posted on support groups thus getting members to invest their time and emotions and are later discovered can cause nervous breakdowns for such members leading to destroyed trust and reputation for such communities. Online users are seeking emotional support and advice on sensitive issues they face indeed value truth, confidentiality, and trust, virtues that are disregarded by internet trolls. Increased disruptions and deceptions pushed by internet trolls have severe ramifications to online users seeking support and privacy thus affecting their general well-being. The repercussions of internet trolling go beyond individual and online platforms’ wellbeing and reputation by also inflicting financial consequences to them. Binns (2012) note that both people and businesses push to create, manage and maintain their brand for various reasons. Trolls, with their malicious intentions, can deliberately attack both people and companies with the aim of destroying their reputation, brand and credibility thus resulting in financial losses. Trolls attacking such personalities and enterprises with the intention of destroying their brands often publish false information to tarnish their reputation, damage the user experience, add undeserving negative reviews thus cause loss of new clients, and subscribers that translate into a loss of revenue. The effects of negative trolling are not always adverse. Coles and West (2016) note that increased troll attacks have been associated with increased online traffic for certain sites such as magazines and newspapers thus increasing the revenues generated for such sites. Financial consequences can lead to loss of jobs when organizations affected by troll attacks downsize and struggle to stay afloat whereas in some cases, the revenues recorded increases. Internet trolling may start as mere online jokes that proceed to have advanced negative impacts on online users, online communities and trolls themselves. Activities of online trolls have been associated with harm and illegal behavior; activities ultimately send to courts and jails. For example, a study found out that an internet troll was incarcerated for four years f...