Modern civilization is facing a digital transformation, particularly in the aftermath of the epidemic, with cell phones and social media usage becoming ubiquitous among teens. Social networking is a boon. It is a tool for connecting and enhancing our social lives. People from far distances can readily connect. In today’s world, no distance is large enough; everyone is only a rectangular screen away from each other.
Most people, and regrettably, children, spend a significant amount of time on social media. Social media allows people to easily compare themselves to others. Most individuals post on social media what they would like others to see. Unwarranted social media exposure is harmful to the development of young children. According to a study, children under the age of 11 who use certain applications are more prone to engage in problematic digital behaviour and an increased risk of online harassment.
Online Harassment
Online harassment is described as an individual or group using information and communication technology to continually cause harm to another person. This might include threats, shame, or humiliation in an online context. Online harassment includes expressing ideas that discriminate against certain groups. Ideas such as sexism, racism, homophobia, etc. Online sexual harassment in its various forms and cyberstalking are also kinds of online harassment.
Cyberbullying includes different forms like sending hurtful messages, posting fraudulent content about an individual, or sharing private information that can degrade an individual. Cyberbullying is most widely experienced through messaging applications such as Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Snapchat.
Online trolling occurs when people purposefully put out information or comments that are intended to elicit a negative response, such as an argument, disagreement, or hate towards others. Those who participate in internet trolling want attention through unpleasant behaviour rather than good activities. They cherish the unpleasant reactions or anguish that their behaviour causes.
Cyber Bullying
Cyberbullying is defined as bullying by using technology and devices. It can happen on social media, chatting apps, gaming platforms, and mobile devices. It is repetitive behaviour intended to scare, upset, or embarrass individuals being targeted. Some instances include distributing false information about someone or sharing humiliating photographs or videos of them; sending obnoxious, abusive, or threatening texts, images, or videos; and impersonating someone and sending unpleasant messages to others on their behalf or through fraudulent accounts.
Negative Impacts of Cyber Bullying
Some of the effects of cyberbullying that were noticed in teenagers are a decrease in social interaction — avoiding friends, restricting themselves, becoming disengaged, poor concentration power, and discussing suicide. Increased stress, anxiety, depression, aggression, and low self-esteem are some effects of cyberbullying. The emotional effects can continue long after the online abuse is over. It can cause intense feelings of vulnerability and discomfort.
Predictably, one of the consequences of cyberbullying is rage. The gamut of emotions a victim may experience frequently descends into fury. The act of vengeance is also a method for a youngster to restore some sense of authority, as victims of cyberbullying frequently feel powerless to stop it. Physical impacts are possible in addition to mental and emotional ones. Cyberbullying may cause intense emotions of stress and worry, which can lead to medical problems such as sleeplessness, gastrointestinal disorders, and unhealthy eating behaviours.
Psychology of Cyber Bullies
Cyberbullies may have mental health concerns that contribute to or worsen their bullying. Examples include behavioural disorders including hostility, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. These people do not adhere to social standards, have little empathy for others, and may bully others to boost their sense of power or worth.
Cyberbullies might become bullies after experiencing cyberbullying themselves. In this way, people may want to regain control or strike out after feeling victimised and helpless to respond against the original bully. It may feel like a dichotomy of “bully or be bullied,” without the knowledge that there is an alternative.
It has been stated that certain people participate in cyberbullying out of boredom or a desire to experiment with a new online persona. This is more likely to occur in young adults who are still building their sense of identity. This sort of cyberbullying is often conducted anonymously. People who engage in cyberbullying may also feel lonely in society. If they feel neglected by others, they may lash out in an attempt to gain recognition and recuperate, or they may vent their fury on society.
Trolling
People who love provoking disputes on the Internet, seeking to spark conversations, and upsetting others are known as “trolls,” and their behaviour is referred to as “trolling.” Trolls use trolling behaviours to “annoy, denigrate, disturb, tease, or incite people to respond emotionally to those they target” for entertainment. Trolls consider online communication channels as easy locations to express their odd sense of humour, ignorant that they are affecting actual people. Other internet users, according to them, are a type of digital abstraction rather than actual beings. As a result, they feel no sorrow for the suffering they have inflicted on the opposite side. Indeed, the more agony they inflict, the more effective they are.
Negative Impacts of Trolling
Previously, trolling was viewed as a joke among peers, but it eventually evolved to encompass the targeted humiliation of a specific individual or group. Trolling gains relevance on social media by developing new methods of implementation. This has led to the emergence of a cancel culture on the internet. Cancel culture is the result of unethical communication, especially through trolling. This cancel culture can cause anxiety, depression, social exclusion, trauma, eating disorders, substance abuse, body dysmorphia, negative self-perception, low self-esteem, body image issues, and even more tragic outcomes such as self-harm and suicide attempts in vulnerable people.
Psychology of Trollers
Motivation, according to psychological research, influences human behaviour. Trolls require an incentive to participate in trolling behaviour. According to diverse perspectives, these motivating reasons include boredom or fascination, becoming a phenomenon, causing conflict, acquiring notoriety, disparaging others, and feeling psychological fulfilment.
Trolls have been alluded to as psychological characteristics known as the Dark Triad and Dark Tetrad in response to studies on the causes of trolling. The Dark Triad includes psychopathy, narcissism, and Machiavellianism. Psychopathy is distinguished by a lack of repentance and compassion, whereas narcissism indicates an individual’s egocentricity and fixation with themselves. Machiavellianism refers to an eagerness to manipulate and deceive others. With the introduction of “sadism” to the dark triad, the name dark tetrad has also evolved. Sadism is the emotion of relishing another’s misery.
Social media platforms offer everyone the power of anonymity, allowing trolls to behave in ways they would never do in public. Anonymity permits the troll to obtain emotional release while creating negative emotions from others with impunity.
Trolling v/s Cyber Bullying
While both trolling and cyberbullying are types of online disagreement and abuse, there are some significant differences. These two behaviours appear to be similar; they differ mostly in purpose. Internet trolls often want a generic reaction – it makes little difference who sends it; thus, they frequently do not know their victims personally. Because online interactions frequently allow people to remain anonymous, anybody may troll on the internet with little risk of repercussions.
In contrast, cyberbullying is often more personal. Cyberbullies often know their victims and online abuse is frequently targeted and repeated, much like in-person bullying. This abuse might be posted for others to view, such as through Twitter or Instagram postings, comments on shared Facebook photos, or even blog articles on the victim. However, it might also occur through more private methods, such as direct messages or email. This may make cyberbullying more difficult to determine.
Sometimes all it takes is a single step to intensify what was supposed to be a carefree joke into a full-fledged cyberbullying campaign. The lack of an emotional and physical connection, combined with the feeling of anonymity might transform what might otherwise be a routine instance of schoolyard taunting into a constant barrage of harassment, humiliation, and threats. The impact can cause long-term mental effects and occasionally also lead to suicide.
Citation:
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