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Internet Trolls: The Few ‘Bad Eggs’

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Troll. The word conjures an image of an ugly misshapen creature, feeding on fear, an evil being intent on doing damage. Modern trolls are such creatures. They prowl the Internet, looking for the vulnerable. Trolls are bullies. They spark anger and hostility through degrading or rude comments and posts on news feeds. They typically remain unnamed, hiding behind anonymous usernames or handles to spout their damaging words. Internet trolls can be found on a variety of websites. There are many heated topics up for debate on the Internet: gun control, foreign policies, abortion, religious beliefs, political views, the list goes on and on. These topics are hotspots for Internet bullies to go ‘trolling’.
Internet trolls are thought to bully other online users for many reasons. Personal issues such as grudges or boredom, psychological issues such as attention seeking or feelings of inadequacy, as well as other emotional or social problems may be at the root of the matter. Trolls tend to attack on issues where people feel very strongly or are emotionally attached to their points of view. Other times Internet trolls are just wanting to get a rise out of people.
According to Wolchover, & Life’s Little Mysteries (2012) comment threads can give people a false sense of accomplishment. A blogger at Daily Kos quoted in a July 23rd article, “There is so much going on in our lives that it is hard to find time to get out and physically help a cause which makes ‘armchair activism’ an
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