Here’s a quick test to find out if you’re an Internet troll:
Read the statement below and see if you agree with it. If so, you just might have what it takes to play a troll on the Internet.
“The more beautiful and pure a thing is, the more satisfying it is to corrupt.”
Researchers at the Unviersity of Manitoba recently presented this statement – along with several others like:
“I have sent people to shock websites for the lulz”
and the very telling
“I like to troll people in forums or the comments section of websites”
and asked study participants if they agreed or disagreed with the sentiment.
Trolls just want to have fun
What they found was alarming but probably not surprising: “People who engage in trolling are characterized by personality traits that fall in the so-called Dark Tetrad: Machiavellianism (willingness to manipulate and deceive others), narcissism (egotism and self-obsession), psychopathy (the lack of remorse and empathy), and sadism (pleasure in the suffering of others). – Chris Mooney for Slate
In other words, the data showed that the favorite pastime of narcissistic, psychopathic sadists is trolling on the Internet:
I guess the takeaway is simple: next time you start to get upset at a comment you read online, consider the source. It’s probably just a sadist looking to have a good time. Because trolls just want to have fun.
The post The Habits of Highly Effective Internet Trolls appeared first on Brain on Digital.
