BLOG 5 - TROLLING & SOCIAL MEDIA CONTENT

Trolling has become the latest phenomenon to impact upon social media networking sites. But……. what is a troll and how does this relate to social media?

(Moreau 2020)

“A Troll is a term for a person, usually anonymous, who deliberately starts an argument or posts inflammatory or aggressive comments with the aim of provoking either an individual or a group into reacting.” (Bullies Out 2019).

Trolling vs Cyberbullying - What’s the Difference?

Every social media platform offers the possibility to comment on any content (Koechlin 2019). Making it especially easy for individuals to target a person or persons anonymously. People who troll want to start arguments and stir up trouble. They do this by posting provocative comments or saying negative things to deliberately upset people.

People who troll don’t necessarily target one person (Headspace 2022).

Whereas, cyberbullies target individuals. Rather than posting generally inflammatory statements, they post vicious things about a single person with a goal of shaming or intimidation (McDunnigan 2022). This could take the form of mean-spirited messages, private pictures or private video concerning the individual the bully is targeting (McDunnigan 2022).

“Don’t feed the trolls!” (Steph Guthrie 2013)

https://youtu.be/7zzyGVMUDXM

Trolling, Provocation & YouTube

What is broadly referred to as digital citizenship is usually concerned with ethical behaviour in online environments and takes aim at problematic or aberrant forms of participation (McCoster 2014). The persistence and visibility of bullying in networked publics adds a new dimension to how bullying is constructed and understood (Boyd 2014).

Trolling and provocation is evident on a platform like YouTube. In relation to the Christchurch earthquake and the Auckland flash haka, the video content affects the comments and the forms of antagonism that emerge. Both videos themselves serve as a form of provocation and stimulate passionate responses, though in different ways.

Christchurch Earthquake

As in much YouTube commentary, specific time references to points or segments within the video are often given.

The below quote indicates that digitally connected individuals have become “concerned with ethical behaviour in online environments" (McCoster 2014) and as a result, some are critical of the camera person for filming and not helping:

‘Why the hell would you video someone crying? leave them alone.’ (adi87tya, March).

And yet many are simply a way of expressing messages of support and empathy, singling out some of the efforts made by bystanders in clearing rubble or freeing trapped survivors:

‘Kiwis are STRONG! just look at the bloke @3.34. Kia Kaha Chch’ (RIPSHITandBUST, March);

‘I got chills as you see that guy lift those massive pieces of cement pieces... he is really doing anything it takes to save a life ... this is what you call humanity!’ (sakin81, March).

Auckland Flash Haka

The vast majority of comments for the flash haka are either direct or indirect references to the acts within video in the form of engagement with the event, the performance of the haka, the type of haka performed (McCoster 2014). Direct reference to this video often takes a humorous form.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puXad30DSfg

‘Dude looking for his sandals that pop off in middle ... at the end ... awesome:) <3 haka/New Zealand ... from CALi, USA’ (kennygulley23, September);

‘LOL guy with brown hoodie on the cellphone to his MRS. ‘‘Sorry sweetheart ... . Gotta fly. ITS HAKA TIME!’’ AWESOME!’ (IRONTROZ 3, September).

In both the earthquake and haka contexts, the resulting flow of expression in response to provocation simply exemplifies this desire to assemble within and in relation to the visual expression of place (and its destruction) on the one hand, and cultural pride and belonging on the other (McCoster 2014).

My question for you is: do you think that trolling can only lead to destruction within a community, or can it exist in a positive way, reinforcing a bond?

References

Boyd, D 2014, ‘Bullying: is social media amplifying meanness and cruelty?’, in It’s complicated: the social lives of networked teens, Yale University Press, New Haven, Conn, pp. 128–152.

Bullies Out 2019, Trolling, BulliesOut, viewed 26 April 2022, <https://bulliesout.com/need-support/young-people/trolling/>.

Headspace 2019, Trolling and how to respond to it, Headspace, viewed 5 May 2022, <https://headspace.org.au/explore-topics/for-young-people/trolling/>.

Eyiboom43 2011, Flash Haka @ Sylvia Park, YouTube, viewed 5 May 2022, <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puXad30DSfg>.

Koechlin, G 2019, Understanding the trolling phenomenon, Medium, viewed 29 April 2022, <https://medium.com/social-media-writings/understanding-the-trolling-phenomenon-ffc68c1a339c>.

McCosker, A 2013, ‘Trolling as provocation’, Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies, vol. 20, no. 2, pp. 201–217.

McDunnigan, M 2022, Difference between a troll & a cyberbully, It Still Works, viewed 29 April 2022, <https://itstillworks.com/difference-between-troll-cyberbully-5054.html>.

Moreau, E, ‘How internet trolling affects us all online’ [image], in Lifewire 2020, Internet Trolling: How Do You Spot a Real Troll?, viewed 04 May 2022, <https://www.lifewire.com/what-is-internet-trolling-3485891>.

TN Plus 2021, Psychology of a online troll | understanding trolling culture, YouTube, viewed 5 May 2022, <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zzyGVMUDXM>.

Vargas, M 2021, The psychological profile of internet trolls, Mind Cafe, viewed 5 May 2022, <https://medium.com/mind-cafe/the-psychological-profile-of-internet-trolls-a69d581ff4e5>.