Internet trolls have become an increasingly larger problem in today’s society with social media growing to such popularity. Practically anyone can sign up for social media and get involved with a couple clicks here and there. Without identification needed to sign up, the anonymity of it can be great. Being unknown is a huge part of internet trolls; if they were not anonymous most, if not all, of them would no longer be around. An internet troll is simply someone who joins into a conversation and posts comments that are intended to get people’s attention by upsetting them or disrupting the discussion. The role of anonymous free speech is being able to have a voice. Some people are afraid of saying what is on their mind in person due to the repercussions that may follow. It is much easier to sit behind a keyboard any type exactly what is on your mind under a false identity. …show more content…
Trolls feed off of the attention and anger of others and will continue to get worse as long as they are getting it. They best solution to this is for everyone on social media to ignore them and not give them the attention that they are looking for. This is much easier said than done. The main goal of most internet trolls is to make people angry and start an argument with them. If you are on the receiving end of this and the discussion is about something you care about, it is very difficult to ignore them. Since you can’t ignore them, you get into a discussion with them and now they have done exactly what they were planning on doing. The trolls most likely have no interest in the topic and his/her main goal is to get people as mad as possible. So the best thing for us as a society to do is to ignore people who are considered trolls and not give them the power they are looking for. If we can do that, internet trolls would no longer be as big of a problem as they are
In the essay “Where Anonymity Breeds Contempt” the author Julie Zhou demonstrates the negative impact Anonymity in the internet has had on human beings. Following with a convincing argument for unmasking these “trolls” of the internet.
middle of paper ... ... Everyone has the right to express their point of view. Free speech gives online communities abundant resources that broaden viewers’ horizons and keep people updated on ideas from different perspectives. A free community gives people the freedom to actively choose what they want, rather than accept what authority thinks is good for them passively.
Yet, with all the activity and chatter a message board supplies, there are nuisances as well. Adolescents who go on the computer usually want to start trouble or irritate others. These people are called trolls. Trolls are a very troublesome problem in the message board community. Trolls usually post beliefs that are not well respected within the message board community. Take a sports message board for example. A troll on a sports message board would usually say that the team that specific board supports “sucks” and the troll would go on to brag how his or her team is superior. Trolls usually do this on consistent bases to annoy the other members on the board.
Modern scholars have in the recent decades engaged in the controversial debate on the actual classification of the group Anonymous. Some scholars classify the group as trolls while other associates it with hackers groups. As defined, hackers are individuals or groups that search and exploit the computer system weakness (Messmer 65). In most instances, hackers engage in discouraging and unappealing activities for multiple reasons including challenging the existing systems, protesting against the prevailing rules and regulations, and for profit making. On the other hand, trolls are groups of individuals who engage in the process of sowing discord on the internet through instigating arguments that aim at upsetting community members and leaders (Keith 11). Trolls are also popular for posting off-topic, extraneous, and inflammatory information on the internet. Although hackers and trolls are the main actors in the current threatening cyber crimes, the two groups have varying reasons for abusing the existing technology. Moreover, despite the existence of detailed and intensive strategies to address the two groups of crime, the actors have been outshining the global policy implementers and formulators in numerous occasions (Messmer 65). However, based on the available evidence, the Anonymous group is more of a hacker group than a troll group.
Free speech is a luxury that enables us to be independent and productive in various ways. First, free speech is a tool that enables individuals to develop their character. In order to realize who we are, we must be able to openly express our thoughts and ideas with others. It is this give and take of conversation that allows us to draw conclusions and form opinions. Secondly, free speech allows us to possess and expand our knowledge. Without argument, we would be brainwashed and ultimately dull. No one can possibly draw educated conclusions without first having all the information relevant to the subject-at-hand. Third, our freedom of speech is essential to our system of self-government. Should free speech be taken away from us, we would no longer be a nation of democracy, but rather a dictatorship with our thoughts and ideas spoon-fed to us. Lastly, freedom of speech is vital to social change. Non-violent resistance thrives on the audible communication of thoughts and ideas. Without free speech, we wouldn't be free.
Freedom of speech is paramount for personal development and self-expression. The ability to freely express oneself is essential for individual autonomy and fulfillment, allowing individuals to explore their thoughts, feelings, and identity and to engage meaningfully with others. Freedom of speech is a foundational right that underpins democratic societies, facilitates the exchange of ideas, enables political participation, and promotes personal growth and expression. It is a right that all should protect, cherish, and
“About one third of all teenagers who use the internet say they have been targets of a range of annoying and potentially menacing online activities – such as receiving threatening messages; having their private emails or text messages forwarded without consent; having an embarrassing picture posted without permission; or having rumors about them spread online” (Amanda Lenhart). Cyberbullying is bullying that occurs using electronics such as cell phones, computers, and social media websites. Cyberbullying can include mean text messages, embarrassing pictures of others on social media, or fake profiles. The internet continues to be the most democratic of mass media. Anyone can use the internet and create a website
Cyberbullying is simply the use of technology and its accessible tools to harass, hurt and embarrass the targeted individual repeatedly. Stopcyberbullying.org (n.d.), a dedicated organization to prevent cyberbullying and promote awareness, has defined cyberbullying as the use of the internet and mobile devices or digital technology such as text or instant messaging, e-mail, and/or post blogging by adolescents or teens to repeatedly threaten, harass, embarrass, torment, humiliate, or likewise the targeted adolescent(s) or teen(s). The 21st century has promoted and forced our teens to become very knowledgeable with the use of technology in addition to social media use and access. The array of social media medium includes Twitter, Facebook, and the even low-key Formspring—a medium that offers “total anonymity” to users (Holladay, 2011, p. 5). Even though ...
Social media can cause some great trouble for some people. Some people can become bullies over the internet, while others are the innocent victims for these emotionless
Every day we meet a lot of people have seen their behavior, listen to what they say, think about them, try to understand them. We feel that we not only see what color eyes and hair of a person, tall or not, thin or full, but also sad to him or fun, smart or stupid it, solid or not and so on. Over the past decade, social media has seen growth to the point where it is reflects in our daily lives and even the lives of those who choose not to use it. Anywhere we go online, there are always buttons to click so that you can share something on Facebook or pin it to your Pinterest account.
All around the United States, the prevalence of cyberbullying ranges from 10-40% of people who get bullied through electronics. Furthermore, this is a problem caused by kids, teens, and adults who target one another online by repeating harmful threats and harassments. This conflict negatively impacts the victims’ life which is why anyone who cyberbullies should pay the consequences and be prosecuted.
Children are often bullied in school, but they can also be bullied online. Cyber-bullying is bullying over devices and often using social media to conduct it. It has become common due to the rapidly increasing use of social media. The bullying is done by sharing embarrassing or demeaning content of one another or writing cruel messages. Some take it a step further and create fake accounts to anonymously harass a person, or even use the fake account to impersonate that person. Due to social media, cyber-bullying is a harsh reality that children are being born
In Sarah Nichol’s article “Cyber-Bullying and Trolling”, a view is expressed that social media does not cause bullying. According to Karyn Krawford, online anonymity has little to do with making bullies since most victims already know their attacker. In addition, often in real life, bullies and victims play the same role. As director of Cyborg Australia and expert on cyber psychology, Krawford has st...
Public opinion is often emotional rather than rational, so it is extremely easy to be incited and would possibly cause cyber bullying, which means to attack one person or a small group of persons by using offensive language. The damage caused by cyber bullying to a person is not virtual but real. An article from PR Newswire called “Cyber Hunting and Cyber Bullying” tells a st...
Most of us have heard the saying “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me”. With today’s technology, that saying may no longer hold true. Studies show that in the past five years, online bullying has quadrupled (M. Ross, 3). The technology has given bullies a whole another proposal for their actions; virtual name-calling can have harsh effects on the security of kids and teens in today’s society. An online bully is someone who sends messages via technology, hides behind that keyboard and uses words or pictures to embarrass and bully their target.