RE: The Psychology of the Internet Trolling.
Interesting thought experiment, @guineapig
Here are some more thoughts on trolling.
Is trolling, like beauty, in the eye of the beholder?
Here are some definitions of trolling:
Generic definitions
troll
trɒl,trəʊl, verb
carefully and systematically search an area for something.
"a group of companies trolling for partnership opportunities"
fish by trailing a baited line along behind a boat.
gerund or present participle: trolling
"we trolled for mackerel"We, unfortunately, live in a world of relativistic morality.
Google Dictionary
Internet
troll
One who posts a deliberately provocative message to a newsgroup or message board with the intention of causing maximum disruption and argument
Urban Dictionary
So, trolling, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder @guineapig
The troll, like a natural troll fishes the internet sometimes systemically, sometimes randomly. The systemic troll has a target who usually does not want the attention. Sometimes, the target has encouraged the attention, like Instagram celebrities, but then seek to set boundaries for the enagagement.
Trolling on the internet occurs because:
- It easier to abuse a person on the internet than when meeting a person face to face.
- Targets sometimes encourage it.
- Many are simply ignorant of how to use social media.