Trolls Trolling Trolls: A Deep Dive into Online Behavior and How to Combat It

by Shashikanth Heerekar | Oct 30, 2024 | All Things about Marketing

Learn about the strange world of trolls trolling trolls and the reasons behind this peculiar online interaction.

Introduction

Trolling is one of the most disruptive behaviors seen on the internet. While trolls typically target other users, a new and somewhat ironic phenomenon has emerged—trolls trolling trolls. This situation occurs when trolls, often responsible for inflammatory and disruptive comments, begin to turn on each other, resulting in chaos that can spiral even further out of control.

This article will explore the nuances of “trolls trolling trolls,” what motivates such behavior, its impact on online communities, and effective strategies for managing it while addressing various troll-related topics.

Understanding Troll Behavior

Trolls are individuals who deliberately provoke emotional responses or disrupt conversations online. The concept of “just trolling” refers to people making comments or actions to create chaos for fun.

Trolls tend to hide behind troll accounts, fake or anonymous profiles designed to avoid accountability. These profiles, known as comment trolls or keyboard trolls, take advantage of anonymity to behave in ways that would be unacceptable in real life.

Sometimes, trolls even troll each other. This leads to an unusual situation where a troll person might attack another troll in a battle for dominance, amusement, or revenge. The back-and-forth of trolls trolling trolls can escalate and make the entire online environment even more toxic.

What Is Troll Trolling?

When trolls troll each other, the intention might be similar to how they troll regular users: to provoke and incite emotional reactions. However, when trolls clash, the conflict becomes even more intense, often resulting in chaos.

This phenomenon can be seen on social media platforms, forums, and even gaming communities where social media trolls or Instagram troll accounts go after each other, trying to outdo one another.

Some trolls engage in nuance trolling, a more subtle form of trolling in which they manipulate discussions in more covert ways, making it difficult for others to recognize the behavior immediately.

Paid trolls on the internet—people who are hired to troll or spread misinformation—can sometimes engage in trolling other paid trolls as part of coordinated disinformation campaigns, adding another layer to the conflict.

Different Types of Trolls and Trolling

The online world has seen the rise of various trolling behaviours, each with its unique methods. Below are some types of trolls and trolling:

• Troll Accounts: These are fake or anonymous profiles created specifically for trolling. A troll account is designed to engage in inflammatory or provocative behaviour without fear of repercussion.
• Comment Troll: A comment troll targets discussions and comments sections on social media platforms or forums, posting negative, irrelevant, or inflammatory comments to disrupt the conversation.
• Keyboard Troll: A keyboard troll hides behind their device, using their anonymity to say things they wouldn’t dare say in person.
• Trolling Yourself: This refers to deliberately provoking reactions against yourself as a joke or to stir up reactions. For example, trolling myself involves pretending to be clueless or naive to provoke humorous or annoyed responses.
• Best Internet Troll: While aspiring to be a troll is not advisable, some people pride themselves on being the best internet troll by mastering the art of provocation. However, this title often comes with a reputation for causing harm or disrupting communities.
• How to Troll Someone: If you’re wondering how to troll someone, it involves crafting comments or actions that push their emotional buttons. While this may seem entertaining to the troll, it’s a behaviour that’s generally discouraged because it can cause distress to others.
• Troll on Social Media: Social media is a hotspot for trolling, with social media trolls attacking users, influencers, or companies by posting harmful or provocative content.

The Impact of Trolls on Online Communities

Trolls can harm online communities, causing emotional distress to users, polarizing discussions, and driving away genuine participants. Trolls trolling each other can amplify these effects, creating even more hostile and chaotic spaces.

The constant negativity can diminish trust within the community, reduce engagement, and even harm the platform’s reputation. Without intervention, this behaviour can lead to a breakdown of the community’s purpose and overall experience.

Motivations Behind Trolls Trolling Trolls

The reasons trolls troll each other vary, but the most common motivators include:

Entertainment: Trolls often enjoy the chaos they create, and trolling other trolls offers even more entertainment. It’s a form of “trolling myself,” where they enjoy the spectacle they help create.

Superiority Complex: Some trolls aim to prove they are the best at provoking others. They compete with each other, turning on fellow trolls in a twisted power struggle to be the best internet troll.

Frustration or Boredom: Trolls may turn on each other simply because they’ve exhausted their typical targets and need a new outlet. As the saying goes, if you play with fire, you’ll eventually get burned, and trolls who get tired of their usual antics may start trolling themselves.

Revenge: Occasionally, one troll may troll another to get back at them for a previous attack or simply out of spite, leading to a cycle of revenge trolling.

How to Deal with Trolling: Strategies for Managing Trolls

Dealing with trolls can be a frustrating experience, but it is essential to manage their behaviour effectively to maintain a healthy online environment. Here are some strategies to help manage trolls, whether they’re trolling users or each other:

Don’t Engage: One of the best ways to handle trolls is to avoid engaging with them. Trolls thrive on attention, so not giving them a response can reduce their motivation. If you need help with trolling, the first rule is not to feed the trolls.

Moderation Tools: Use moderation tools to flag and remove troll comments. These can help minimize trolls’ impact on discussions and limit the visibility of disruptive behavior.

Establish Guidelines: Communities with clear guidelines about behavior and consequences tend to have fewer problems with trolls. Defining unacceptable behavior can help curb trolling a person or yourself.

Report Trolls: Reporting trolls is an effective way to deal with them on many platforms. Social media platforms often offer the ability to report users for violations, especially when they create Instagram troll accounts or fake profiles.

Create Your Own Trollsona: Some users find humor in trolling trolls back with their own created trolls—a character or personality designed to mock or parody troll behavior.

The Role of Moderation in Mitigating Troll Behavior

Moderation plays a central role in minimizing the impact of trolls. Effective moderators manage trolls directly and ensure that the community remains a welcoming space for all users. They can remove harmful content, mediate conflicts, and immediately act when troll activity is identified. Balancing a firm stance against trolls while promoting healthy discussions is critical to successful moderation.

How to Be a Troll and Why You Shouldn’t

Although many people wonder how to troll online, becoming a troll can harm you and the communities you engage with. Trolls often create a negative environment that pushes people away. Whether it’s how to troll the internet or to figure out how to troll someone, the behaviour disrupts the shared space and can lead to severe consequences, such as bans, suspensions, or loss of reputation.

If you want to know how to be an internet troll or how to troll on the internet, understand that while it may seem amusing at first, trolling often leads to toxic interactions and harm, which can reflect poorly on you. Moreover, the troll account or person you create can lead to long-term negativity, driving people away from healthy online communities.

The Importance of Moderation and Community Management

Effective moderation is key to stopping trolls. Knowing how to stop trolls on the internet is critical, and proactive moderation can greatly reduce troll activity. This involves removing offensive posts, suspending troll accounts, and encouraging users to report inappropriate behaviour.

Understanding how to deal with trolls before they wreak havoc can help maintain a positive environment. Moderators should look for troll comments and other harmful behaviors while promoting positive interactions to minimize the impact of trolls.

Educating and Empowering Community Members to Counter Troll Tactics

Education is another powerful tool in combating trolls. By teaching community members how to recognize troll behaviour, avoid feeding into it, and report it appropriately, online spaces can become more resilient to disruptions. Empowering users to take a stand against trolling through positive interactions and promoting the community’s values helps prevent trolls from gaining control.

Fostering Positive Communities

Trolling can often be stopped by creating a positive community culture. When people feel empowered and supported, trolls are less likely to succeed. Encouraging collaboration, respect, and empathy within the community helps limit the reach of trolling behaviour. Empowering users to recognize and reject trolling without responding can also help reduce the cycle of negativity.

Conclusion

Trolls trolling trolls is a bizarre and counterproductive phenomenon that amplifies the toxicity of online spaces. Whether learning how to troll, understanding what a troll account is, or discovering how to stop internet trolls, managing trolling behaviour requires a multifaceted approach. Proactive moderation, clear guidelines, and an engaged community can go a long way in fostering a healthy, welcoming environment that minimizes the disruptive impact of trolls.

By focusing on positivity and education, online communities can neutralize the chaos that trolls create and ensure a more respectful digital experience for all users.

FAQ’s

What Is Trolling Slang For?

In internet slang, trolling deliberately provokes or upsets people online by posting inflammatory, irrelevant, or off-topic messages. The goal of a troll is to elicit emotional reactions from others, often for amusement. Trolls take pleasure in trolling someone by stirring up conflict or confusion, and the term has evolved to describe any action meant to bait or annoy others on the internet.

What Are Trolls on Social Media?

Trolls on social media use platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Reddit to provoke others through negative or controversial comments. These individuals often hide behind troll accounts—fake profiles created to protect their identity while they engage in disruptive behaviour. A comment troll on social media may leave offensive or hurtful remarks under posts, videos, or images to derail discussions and frustrate users.

Social media trolls can come in different forms. Some are keyboard trolls, hiding behind their screens while spewing negative remarks. In contrast, others might be more strategic and calculated, engaging in nuance trolling and manipulating discussions more subtly and sophisticatedly. Whether overt or covert, trolling on social media can lead to toxic environments if not properly managed.

Is It Illegal to Troll on the Internet?

In many places, trolling is not specifically illegal, but certain forms can cross the line into illegal activity, especially if they involve harassment, threats, or defamation. For instance, creating fake accounts to defame or attack someone could result in legal consequences.

In some countries, laws regarding cyberbullying, stalking, and online harassment apply to trolls. So, while trolling on the internet may seem like just a prank or a way to have fun, it can have legal ramifications if it escalates into harmful behaviour.

What Is the Meaning of Troll Troll?

The phrase “troll troll” may refer to the concept of trolls trolling trolls, where one troll targets another. This can happen when trolls turn on each other, engaging in a cycle of disruptive behaviour. It’s often a sign of one-upmanship, where trolls attempt to outdo one another by being more provocative. Trolling yourself or others in this context becomes part of a broader online game, where the line between who is trolling and who is being trolled becomes blurred.

What Is a Female Troll Called?

While there is no specific term for a female troll, trolls on the internet are generally not categorized by gender. The term “troll” applies to anyone who engages in online disruptive behavior, whether they identify as male, female, or otherwise. However, in mythology, female trolls are sometimes referred to as “Troll wives” though these terms are rarely used in the context of internet trolling.

Is Troll a Bad Word?

The term “troll” has taken on a negative connotation, especially on the internet. Calling someone a troll suggests that they are engaging in harmful or disruptive behavior. However, the word itself is not inherently offensive; it depends on the context in which it is used. A social media troll or online troll is often seen as a nuisance, and in some cases, the label can carry a strong negative judgment.

How to Stop Internet Trolls

One of the most effective ways to manage trolling is to ignore trolls and avoid giving them the attention they crave. Knowing how to stop trolls on the internet involves:

• I am using moderation tools to block or remove them from discussions.
• They are reporting their behaviour.
• We are setting clear community guidelines.

Many platforms offer features to flag troll comments and ban troll accounts, helping to minimize their impact on the co