MATTER Internet trolling has become an integral part of social media. A troll is a person who posts digressive, off-topic or offensive posts to distract or defame people for amusement or a specific gain. The idea of trolling is to silence or degrade a person to silence opinions or purely for the sake of personal entertainment. The first context is more relatable with respect to the current socio-political condition.
FREEDOM OF SPEECH VIOLATION
Early trolling MATTER was considered to be ‘flaming’ and MATTER was mostly personal attacks. The current trolling is mostly done by fake accounts or troll groups to silence any opinion contradictory to the administration and social, religious or political power. Currently trolling has shifted from personal ridicule to offensive and grave attacks on a religious or political groups or ideologies. The growing intolerance towards contradictory opinions has caused the formation of ‘troll armies’ which are basically groups of social media accounts employed by influential people to troll and shut any idea that they dislike. This is a severe violation of the fundamental MATTER right to freedom of speech and expression.
SOCIAL EFFECTS OF TROLLING
Trolling is strong enough to disrupt the discussion of an online MATTER forum or news group, spread wrong advice and damage the trust in an online community. Groups and forums MATTER that become sensitized to trolling may reject honest and simple questions as trolls further digressing trust and honesty. MATTER Also wrong accusations or being branded as a troll may damage online and social reputation of a person.
PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF TROLLING
Social media is a bigger public platform than our physical world and trolling in public has proved to have serious emotional effects on the targeted people or groups. Trolls take pleasure in causing pain and disturbance that would force people to refrain from speaking their minds in the fear of being attacked. The ability to harm people psychologically and upset them gives trolls, the sense of superiority and power.
Thus free speech allows trolling as everyone has the right to express opinions. The best way to tackle trolls is to avoid them to keep a person’s mental health steady. Logical and rational words would always surpass trolls and remember- empty pots make more noise.
