Summary of “How Trolls Are Ruining the Internet”
In the article “How Trolls Are Ruining the Internet,” by Joel Stein, Stein asserts that Internet culture has changed, and not in a respectable way. At one point in time, the Internet was a friendly place that was focused on information being available for everyone. Now, it’s a cold, unwelcoming place to those who seek out personal help. People often harass others whenever they seek out assistance that isn 't fact-based.
These people have a name. Those who use the freedom of the Internet’s anonymity to cause injury to others are called “trolls.” These trolls claim that they harm others for the “lulz,” which means for laughs. What they do to achieve this ranges from simple pranks to threats of…show more content…
Trolling has mostly been used by the “alt-right,” which is an “Internet-grown reactionary movement that works for men’s rights and against immigration.” Milo Yiannopoulos is a leader of the alt-right who was banned from Twitter for harassing Leslie Jones. He claims that trolling is due to liberals telling people what to do and what to say. In essence, The alt-right uses trolling to express their views.
Stein states that “expressing socially unacceptable views...is becoming more socially acceptable.” For instance, on websites such as 4chan and Reddit, users can express their multitudes of socially unacceptable opinions. The sites allow and encourage people to utilize their right to free speech. Contrary to popular belief, the people who have these socially unacceptable attitudes are not living in their parents’ basements and living off of Doritos and Mountain Dew; instead they are doctors, teachers, and lawyers. Expressing unpopular opinions has become more normal online.
Trolls talk over and harass minority groups more often than others. These groups then assume that this treatment is normal and avoid certain topics for fear of backlash. If someone is part of a minority, they’re much more likely to experience harassment from trolls for expressing their views. This seems unfair to many people. The alt-right argues, however, that the Internet is simply a cruel place and if people want to be a part of it, then they have to toughen up. Stein then argues that this
In the article “How Trolls Are Ruining the Internet,” by Joel Stein, Stein asserts that Internet culture has changed, and not in a respectable way. At one point in time, the Internet was a friendly place that was focused on information being available for everyone. Now, it’s a cold, unwelcoming place to those who seek out personal help. People often harass others whenever they seek out assistance that isn 't fact-based.
These people have a name. Those who use the freedom of the Internet’s anonymity to cause injury to others are called “trolls.” These trolls claim that they harm others for the “lulz,” which means for laughs. What they do to achieve this ranges from simple pranks to threats of…show more content…
Trolling has mostly been used by the “alt-right,” which is an “Internet-grown reactionary movement that works for men’s rights and against immigration.” Milo Yiannopoulos is a leader of the alt-right who was banned from Twitter for harassing Leslie Jones. He claims that trolling is due to liberals telling people what to do and what to say. In essence, The alt-right uses trolling to express their views.
Stein states that “expressing socially unacceptable views...is becoming more socially acceptable.” For instance, on websites such as 4chan and Reddit, users can express their multitudes of socially unacceptable opinions. The sites allow and encourage people to utilize their right to free speech. Contrary to popular belief, the people who have these socially unacceptable attitudes are not living in their parents’ basements and living off of Doritos and Mountain Dew; instead they are doctors, teachers, and lawyers. Expressing unpopular opinions has become more normal online.
Trolls talk over and harass minority groups more often than others. These groups then assume that this treatment is normal and avoid certain topics for fear of backlash. If someone is part of a minority, they’re much more likely to experience harassment from trolls for expressing their views. This seems unfair to many people. The alt-right argues, however, that the Internet is simply a cruel place and if people want to be a part of it, then they have to toughen up. Stein then argues that this
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