Troll (slang)

A revision of a Wikipedia article shows a troll vandalizing an article on Wikipedia by replacing content with an insult.

In slang, a troll is a person who posts deliberately offensive or provocative messages online[1] (such as in social media, a newsgroup, a forum, a chat room, an online video game) or who performs similar behaviors in real life. The methods and motivations of trolls can range from benign to sadistic. These messages can be inflammatory, insincere, digressive,[2] extraneous, or off-topic, and may have the intent of provoking others into displaying emotional responses,[3] or manipulating others' perception, thus acting as a bully or a provocateur. The behavior is typically for the troll's amusement, or to achieve a specific result such as disrupting a rival's online activities or purposefully causing confusion or harm to other people.[4] Trolling behaviors involve tactical aggression to incite emotional responses, which can adversely affect the target's well-being.[5]

In this context, the noun and the verb forms of "troll" are frequently associated with Internet discourse. Recently, media attention has equated trolling with online harassment. The Courier-Mail and The Today Show have used "troll" to mean "a person who defaces Internet tribute sites with the aim of causing grief to families".[6][7] In addition, depictions of trolling have been included in popular fictional works, such as the HBO television program The Newsroom, in which a main character encounters harassing persons online and tries to infiltrate their circles by posting negative sexual comments.[8]

  1. ^ "TROLL English Definition and Meaning | Lexico.com". 24 August 2022. Archived from the original on 24 August 2022. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
  2. ^ "Definition of troll". Collins English Dictionary. Retrieved 17 September 2012.
  3. ^ "Definition of: trolling". PCMAG.COM. Ziff Davis Publishing Holdings Inc. Archived from the original on 1 May 2010. Retrieved 24 March 2009.
  4. ^ Buckels, E.E.; Trapnell, P.D.; Paulhus, D.L. (2014). "Trolls Just Want to Have Fun: (520722015-006)". APA PsycNet. doi:10.1037/e520722015-006.
  5. ^ Volkmer, Sara (March 2023). "Troll story: The dark tetrad and online trolling revisited with a glance at humor". PLOS One. 18 (3): e0280271. Bibcode:2023PLoSO..1880271V. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0280271. ISSN 1932-6203. PMC 10004561. PMID 36897846.
  6. ^ Orreal, Jorja (22 July 2010). "Police charge alleged creator of Facebook hate page aimed at murder victim". Australia: The Courier Mail. Archived from the original on 11 August 2011. Retrieved 27 July 2010.
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference Trolling:TheTodayShowExplorestheDarkSideoftheInternet was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Beth Hanna (20 August 2012). "'The Newsroom' Episode 9 Review and Recap: 'The Blackout Part 2' — Whither the Mock Debate?". IndieWire. Archived from the original on 9 August 2022.

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