RE: Do they4 Jan 2025 21:18
Traits shown by those internet trolls include impulsivity, selfishness, and emotionless callousness. They have a mind-boggling sense of remorselessness and an absence of morality. There is also manipulation and exploitation of others, who they goad into joining in with their cruel and demeaning behaviour. There is also extreme narcissism mixed in with grandiosity and egotism. This is reflected in their desire to assert power and dominance for pleasure.
I think that internet trolls exhibit these traits when they are online, even though some might not do so in real life. Their anonymity amplifies these character traits and behaviours. This is what I call the ‘toxic disinhibition’ effect; a phenomenon which occurs because the perpetrators are far removed from their victims. Not only in terms of distance, but also with time. Their sense of responsibility for their actions is diluted in the knowledge that their targets might not read their vile comments for days, or even longer.