The Psychology Behind An Internet Troll [Infographic]

Here I am back again on a topic I’ve written about many times – the infamous Internet troll. I don’t understand the motivation behind trolling, so it’s always a bit odd to approach the subject. I’ve noticed more trolling comments lately than usual, not here on Bit Rebels, but just on the Internet overall, so I would say trolling is alive and well. What makes a person want to become an Internet troll in the first place? What is the psychology behind it?

In this infographic called Trolls Are The Best by bestpsychologyschoolsonline.com, we are treated to some insight into the mind of an Internet troll. It’s strange that something as simple as anonymity can cause someone to leave nasty comments. When you look at some of the examples in this infographic, like the grandmother with 7 grandchildren who left a nasty comment about a 5-year-old, you start to see what’s going on. I really don’t think some people realize that they are being nasty sometimes when they type a comment. My guess is that if Linda L. Goolsby, whoever she is, knew she was on this infographic, she would be horrified. Sometimes I think people just don’t know.

However, other times, trolling is definitely intentional and mean-spirited. It’s can progress into full on cyber-bullying. Although many people disagree with me, I still stand by my stance which is to ignore trolls. They troll because they are not happy, and they want to get your attention. By not giving them what they want, they will move on to someone else. If you want to fight back though, there are some tips for that in this infographic too. It would be nice if everyone could just play nice on the Internet all the time, but then again, that might make it get real boring real quick. If you want to see what an Internet troll looks like, click over to these Internet troll pictures. It’s not a good look.