Internet trolls are very bad for democracy and truth, to say the least. Lying, slandering, insulting, crackpotting (flawed reasoning), and fomenting irrational emotional responses are standard tactics for internet trolls doing politics. That applies to demagoguery from Trump, and MAGA elites generally. Facts, truths and good faith reasoning almost always contradict troll mind poisoning lies, slanders, manipulations, etc.
Some honest, good faith info about trolls and how they poison minds seems appropriate for election day.
Description of a troll
An internet troll can be generally described as someone who deliberately provokes, antagonizes, or derails online political discussion as a way to provoke anger, get attention, or create division instead of a good-faith exchange of ideas. The troll’s defining feature is deliberate provocation, not simply disagreement or strong, good faith criticism. It’s mostly bad faith and ill-will. Common troll tactics include insults, inflammatory claims, misleading posts, logic flaws (straw man argument, false dilemma argument, etc.), and pretending to engage sincerely while baiting others into futile arguments the troll has no intention of dealing with respectfully and sincerely. Some trolls act independently. Others participate in organized campaigns to spread propaganda or poison political opinion.
Troll Politics — For the majority of the twentieth century, trolls gradually became more and more tame in the face of vanishing cultural heritage. Still, they have gained strength in the last few decades due to the Internet, essentially reincarnated as online trolls.
Political trolls adapt, create material to deceive and confuse the public
And then there’s science!
Troll story: The dark tetrad and online trolling revisited with a glance at humor — Internet trolling is considered a negative form of online interaction that can have detrimental effects on people’s well-being. (comment: Duh. Can have detrimental effects? Trolls do have detrimental effects)
New research finds that many Internet trolls are ’everyday sadists’ — Conclusion: Those who rated highest on the scales for narcissism, psychopathology, Machiavellianism and sadism — highest of all for the trait of sadism — were the same people who were trolls.
Q1: Are there any trolls who routinely participate in any online politics you are aware of, and if so, do you believe that they are, in general, they more harmful than helpful?
Q2: Is it likely that research indicating some degree of mental illness or abnormality is common among internet trolls doing politics is true?
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