Digital Smarts - The Problem with Trolls

As a new school year begins, the topic of cyberbullying will inevitably come up. Joel Stein’s article, How Trolls Are Ruining the Internet, is a pertinent read for parents. A troll is another type of cyberbully and is defined as a person who harasses others online just for the fun of it. They may take a contrarian view just for laughs, or may be very serious about their arguments, but unfortunately their nastiness and passion can sometimes devolve into threats or worse. Psychologists call this the “online disinhibition effect,” in which factors like anonymity, invisibility, a lack of authority and not communicating in real time strip away the mores society spent millennia building. Unfortunately, our smartphones deliver this stream of ugliness 24/7 and it is not easy to avoid. Stein’s article clearly outlines the problem and though not many solutions are offered, it does as a reminder that words can be very destructive.