2a : to antagonize (others) online by deliberately posting inflammatory, irrelevant, or offensive comments or other disruptive content … trolls engage in the most outrageous and offensive behaviors possible—all the better to troll you with.— Whitney Phillips.
A troll is Internet slang for a person who intentionally tries to instigate conflict, hostility, or arguments in an online social community. Platforms targeted by trolls can include the comment sections of YouTube, forums, or chat rooms.
"the deliberate act, (by a Troll – noun or adjective), of making random unsolicited and/or controversial comments on various internet forums with the intent to provoke an emotional knee jerk reaction from unsuspecting readers to engage in a fight or argument."
[From the Usenet group alt. folklore. urban] To utter a posting on Usenet designed to attract predictable responses or flames. Derives from the phrase "trolling for newbies" which in turn comes from mainstream "trolling", a style of fishing in which one trails bait through a likely spot hoping for a bite.
What is another word for trolling?
| strolling | sauntering |
|---|---|
| pootling | tootling |
| tramping | tromping |
| hiking | bimbling |
| stooging | mooching |
What is the opposite of trolling?
| anti-fishing | fish conservation |
|---|---|
| fish protection | marine conservation |
There are many reasons why people might troll online, and it's different from one troll to the next. Dr Mark Griffiths, Professor of Behavioural Addiction at Nottingham Trent University said: “Most people troll others for either revenge, for attention seeking, for boredom, and for personal amusement.”
someone who leaves an intentionally annoying or offensive message on the internet, in order to upset someone or to get attention or cause trouble.
the act of leaving an insulting message on the internet in order to annoy someone: They proposed a new law on internet trolling.
For those unfamiliar with the term, a troll is someone who gets their kicks out of going on forums, blogs and social media and spewing bile in the hopes of creating a firestorm of controversy on the page. The more comments made and the more hateful the conversation gets, the more the troll enjoys it.
It is so fun. Usually I do have a strong opinion that I state and when people act like they are innocently responding to me but they are being condescending instead, that's when I start trolling them. Other people come to the rescue and start defending or trying to team up with them. That's when it gets funnier.
Basically, trolling behavior can feel rewarding in two ways: the pleasure experienced from getting a rise out of a target (positive reinforcement) and in some cases, the pleasure experienced by avoiding or distracting from aspects of life that are uncomfortable (negative reinforcement).
Kids like “trying on” the personality type and get a rise out of others. In general, tweens and younger teens are more likely to get a kick out of online jokes, like being Rick Rolled, even if it's mean-spirited and the joke is on them.
4 Ways You Can Respond to Comment Trolls
5 signs you're dealing with a troll
Feb 28, 2019
Using your altered voice, prank call your friend as a joke.
Trolling is a form of baiting online which involves sending abusive and hurtful comments across all social media platforms. This can be prosecuted under the Malicious Communication Act 1988 and the Communications Act 2003.
Here's how you can shut them down.
Oct 7, 2021
Sign in to your Facebook account and go to the person's profile that's trolling your page. Scroll to the bottom of the left column and click the "Report/Block This Person" link.
Call out their behavior. Many people recommend you simply ignore trolls and don't respond in any way, but this gives the trolls even more power as it gives them the power to silence you. Instead, ignore the troll but address the problem with the “audience” in a matter of fact way.