An internet troll is someone who posts inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community, such as a forum, chat room, or blog, with the primary intent of provoking readers into an emotional response or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion.
3 key influences
• Anonymity […]
• Invisibility […]
• Lack of eye-contact […]
As with many studies, it’s tricky to pin down the exact reasons behind the results.
But given that a great proportion of our communication is non-verbal, and that we rely heavily on facial recognition to connect with and understand one another, it may be that losing eye-contact online actually cuts out our main avenue for empathetic communication – without which we become emotionally disconnected and more predisposed towards hostile behaviour.