Troll (Meaning and Explanation)

We explain what trolls are on social networks and how to identify them. In addition, we tell you what the strategies are to deal with them.

A young woman watches with annoyance the comments of a troll on her phone. — A troll only seeks to annoy, usually as a strategy to attract attention.

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What is a troll?

In the slang of the internet and online communities, it is called a troll or troll to a user, usually anonymous, who participates in a forum, social network or other social sharing platform with the sole purpose of annoying annoy, offend and cause discomfort, usually as a strategy to attract attention.

This term comes from the Norwegian trollname of certain fantastic creatures from Scandinavian folklore, a word that also coincides in English with a certain type of fishing (troll fishing), so both meanings were amalgamated to form a new meaning: that of an annoying character who seeks to provoke others to drag them into a fight or sterile discussion.

the word troll It began to be used in certain Internet forums in 1990, specifically on Usenet, in the context of the jokes with which regular users greeted newbies. This was known as “trolling for newbies” (“fishing for newbies”). From there it was popularized to the rest of the Internet, and although there are other names in other languages for this type of harmful users, Anglicism troll It ended up being imposed internationally, and from there its Castilianized version, troll, is derived.

the trolls are a phenomenon typical of the digital world and are often due to anonymity and the relative security that a remotely connected user has.

Interacting with them usually leads nowhere except to further encourage provocative troll behavior, which arises from boredom or compensation for personal problems that are not going to be resolved on the internet. Consequently, in online communities the adage “Don't feed the troll” (“don't feed the troll”) to suggest to the rest of the users that they do not fall into the temptation of entering into a debate with these users.

How to detect a troll?

The specific behavior of trolls can have very different nuances, but in general these users are recognizable from the following traits:

are usually anonymous characters hidden behind some pseudonym or avatar. Sometimes they always use the same one and other times they use different identities to always achieve the same thing.
They display a provocative, politically incorrect, radicalized or rude attitude which does not seek to debate with arguments but to offend, attack and, above all, draw the attention of the rest of the community, causing indignation or anger.
Their attitude in the debate is passive-aggressive, or even openly hostile and they do not stick to the arguments at stake, but always seek to personalize the discussion and make the other person lose their senses. This often involves encouraging lynching, and humiliating or ridiculing the other's position, using memes, jokes, and insults.
compulsively participate in different conversations or discussions often speaking incoherently, diverting the topic of conversation, sabotaging the interaction with meaningless characters, or doing anything else that prevents others from going about their business without taking the troll into account.
Once involved in a debate, they will not seek a solution or an understanding, but rather They will try to keep the tension always high and perpetuate the exchange as much as possible, because deep down they are thirsty for attention.
In some cases may also engage in abusive and/or criminal behavior such as revealing personal information, hacking third-party accounts, introducing pornographic material, among others.

How to deal with a troll on social media?

In general, the best strategy to deal with a troll on social networks is not to feed it, that is, not to enter into its game of provocations, since the troll, deep down, is only desperately seeking attention and prominence. But this can be more complicated than it seems. So to deal with these users you can follow the following tips:

Don't descend to their level . The success of trolls consists of provoking others to the point that everything revolves around them, and they become the center of digital interaction. Denying them this is key to extinguishing their behavior. If it is possible to ignore your messages and continue with what you were doing, it should be done. If not, it is advisable to continue with it on a private channel or exclude it from participating.
Block/mute . On many digital platforms it is possible to block or mute other users, in order to prevent their messages from appearing on the screen itself. This is an elegant and simple solution, which prevents trolls from contacting the user directly and removes them from the scene. This is particularly effective if done in a massive and coordinated manner, as the troll is left isolated within himself.
Turn to humor . If it is impossible to avoid the exchange, it is key not to take the troll seriously. Using humor, lightness or intelligence will always be a better strategy than getting furiously involved in meaningless discussions. Most trolls, at the end of the day, are passengers, not interested in being part of the community, only in using it for quick emotional reward.
Know how to retire on time . If the troll's behavior is persistent and the user is about to fall into his game, it is time to leave the networks and take a break. With a cool head you can think better and make better decisions, so it is always advisable to return to the real world and give digital matters only the importance they deserve.
Report or report the troll . Most online social sharing services have moderators, administrators, or automated reporting systems where you can report erratic or provocative troll behavior. This way, the system can block your account or prevent you from sabotaging the enjoyment of the rest of the community.

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