Cyber Trolls Are Sadists

[icyfroth]

I found this while I was browsing the news and thought it a good supplement to the faun's thread about trolls and snitches...

Internet trolls who start arguments and make inflammatory remarks to provoke responses online have, unsurprisingly, been found to be psychopaths in real life too.

The latest trolling study from the University of Manitoba in Canada involved two surveys that showed people who troll tend to be sadists or psychopaths.

"Trolling correlated positively with sadism, psychopathy and Machiavellianism, using both enjoyment ratings and identity scores," wrote study author Erin Buckels in the journal Personality and Individual Differences.

The researchers found sadism, which is the tendency to derive pleasure from causing others pain or humiliation, was the trat most commonly associated with internet trolling.

Dr Brent Coker, a University of Melbourne online consumer psychologist, told ninemsn that trolls are like the Joker in the Batman movies.

"Their motives are similar – it's somebody who prefers to remain anonymous and they ridicule other people for their own humour," he said.

"People who engage in trolling behaviour are not usually normal in terms of their personality and have inbuilt sadistic traits."

Dr Coker said the internet has provided a forum for these people to derive pleasure, but it's difficult to know whether cyberspace has caused more sadists, or whether the sadists have always been there, but acting in less obvious ways.

"Prior to the internet, they would have done things like malicious gossip –spreading horrible rumours or horrible secrets about other people behind their backs with the intent of causing damage against other people for their own enjoyment," he said.

"Usually human beings feel bad when hurting other people. Sadists don't have that – they don't feel remorse or guilt when they hurt other people. They actually get enormous personal satisfaction and enjoyment from what they do."

Comedians Roy and HG are currently under attack online for their shows about the Sochi Winter Olympics.

"I don't know how they keep so upbeat and happy when they are copping those comments," Dr Coker said.

Scottish speed skater Elise Christie said she almost pulled out of the Sochi games after copping online abuse following a collision last week.

The Australian swimming team blamed their poor performance at the London Olympics on too much time spent on social media, which exposed them to trolls who distracted them and shook their confidence.

From Here

People take way too much notice of what perfect faceless strangers type up to them.

[nevynreally]

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@chuk_77 wrote:

so a question if I may?

A group of geese is called a gaggle

A group of cows is called a herd

Agroup of crows is called a murder

So is a group of trolls called a gang?

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They are called like minded people. Trolls by those who don't agree.

[boris1gary]

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@nevynreally wrote:

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@izabsmiling wrote:

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@nevynreally wrote:

So. Why are you here posting?

I like reading others viewpoints on a variety of topics, disagreeing with some, smiling at some posts, laughing out loud at others. Some I post to, a lot I don't. Don't care if no one agrees with me. Will kudo posts I agree with or like. 

Back to you.

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not sure why you ask ... my answer: I wanted to and because I can.

It is a different article and I like the way it is written .

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why I ask is because you seem to go out of your way to be what you complain about.

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really, i think the opposite.

[nevynreally]

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@boris1gary wrote:

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@nevynreally wrote:

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@izabsmiling wrote:

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@nevynreally wrote:

So. Why are you here posting?

I like reading others viewpoints on a variety of topics, disagreeing with some, smiling at some posts, laughing out loud at others. Some I post to, a lot I don't. Don't care if no one agrees with me. Will kudo posts I agree with or like. 

Back to you.

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not sure why you ask ... my answer: I wanted to and because I can.

It is a different article and I like the way it is written .

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why I ask is because you seem to go out of your way to be what you complain about.

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really, i think the opposite.

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Seriously, how long have you been here?

[boris1gary]

hello izabs, trolls, bullies whatever we call them seem to carry on the same way online and offline. Not always but when i have come across bullying its often done in packs, doesn't usually start that way - 1 person will start the bullying then others seem to like to join in, kind of like pack or mob behaviour. Its very unpleasant and can have devastating consequences. Anyone can be bullied, even those that consider themselves above "all that childish stuff".

[boris1gary]

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@nevynreally wrote:

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@boris1gary wrote:

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@nevynreally wrote:

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@izabsmiling wrote:

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@nevynreally wrote:

So. Why are you here posting?

I like reading others viewpoints on a variety of topics, disagreeing with some, smiling at some posts, laughing out loud at others. Some I post to, a lot I don't. Don't care if no one agrees with me. Will kudo posts I agree with or like. 

Back to you.

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not sure why you ask ... my answer: I wanted to and because I can.

It is a different article and I like the way it is written .

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why I ask is because you seem to go out of your way to be what you complain about.

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really, i think the opposite.

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Seriously, how long have you been here?

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long enough to type 2 more posts, why?

[*pepe]

so boris would you consider 2 or more people banding together on a thread and posting totally irrelevant pictures 'just because they can', thereby disrupting that thread and then laughing and posting more when others pointed out it was not appreciated to be trolling, bullying or just haing a laugh?

[freakiness]

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@chuk_77 wrote:

so a question if I may?

A group of geese is called a gaggle

A group of cows is called a herd

Agroup of crows is called a murder

So is a group of trolls called a gang?

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It could be a ganglehurderer

[boris1gary]

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@*pepe wrote:

so boris would you consider 2 or more people banding together on a thread and posting totally irrelevant pictures 'just because they can', thereby disrupting that thread and then laughing and posting more when others pointed out it was not appreciated to be trolling, bullying or just haing a laugh?

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depending on pics of course - happened on my thread the other night, annoying but they obviously thought it was funny.

[nevynreally]

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@freakiness wrote:

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@chuk_77 wrote:

so a question if I may?

A group of geese is called a gaggle

A group of cows is called a herd

Agroup of crows is called a murder

So is a group of trolls called a gang?

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It could be a ganglehurderer

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Most people would call them losers.

[freakiness]

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@*pepe wrote:

so boris would you consider 2 or more people banding together on a thread and posting totally irrelevant pictures 'just because they can', thereby disrupting that thread and then laughing and posting more when others pointed out it was not appreciated to be trolling, bullying or just haing a laugh?

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Mostly it's just silliness, not necessarily out of spite.

I don't think this forum is a haven for trolls.  

People might sometimes think they are being trolled but for the most part they are not.  

Disagreeing with another's point of view does not make someone a troll, nor does making a suggestion or partaking in a bit of banter.

The best approach is to not take much notice of who posted what, just join in and enjoy the discussions.