Hunter McDonald
Mr. Sawatzki
Thinking Skills / Period 5
15 November 2017
Deconstruction Essay #2 - How Trolls Are Ruining the Internet
”...the internet’s personality has changed,” writes Joel Stein in the article How Trolls are Ruining the Internet published in Time. Stein goes so far to describe the current state of the internet as “a sociopath with Asperger’s.” The article goes through examples and explanations of so-called “trolling” on the internet, as well as one study and two personal anecdotes, and comes to the conclusion that attention-seeking, often politically motivated individuals (usually right-wing, often dubbed “alt-right” by Stein) who post/send hurtful comments to/harass people (usually left-wing activists) are ruining the internet. …show more content…
What trolls do for the lulz ranges from clever pranks to harassment to violent threats.” As a quick note, a dismissal of the ideas that trolls are a “community” and have a sort of “manifesto,” as well as the common use of the expression “lulz” among said trolls, is due. Moving past the small details, there is a message here that I will attempt to reword: “Trolls, people that harass others on the internet for the fun of it with varying degrees of severity, are guided by the same principle, that being humor: namely, that humor is the goal of said harassment of individuals and it is nothing but a game.” This is an accurate description of trolls. Stein gives an example of one of the most vile forms of trolling - “doxxing.” Doxxing is a form of trolling taken to the extreme which involves publishing personal data (Social Security number, credit card number, etc.) about a victim on the Internet for all to access. There is no doubt this has happened before and continues to happen, but Mr. Stein here implies by the sentence right after it - “When victims do not experience lulz, trolls tell them they have no sense of humor” - that this is a common occurrence, on par with all other forms of trolling (name-calling, etc.) This is definitely not the case, as it happens much less often and is rarely simply for the “lulz.” Overall, this claim …show more content…
Sarkeesian reportedly received bomb, doxxing, and rape threats from many gamers/trolls after she attempted to fund a series of YouTube chronicles that expose the “misogyny” in video games. It would provide some insight for us to examine the personality of a hardcore gamer (the people who will actually say/threaten such things). A hardcore gamer, who likely plays numerous games that involve overt and brash oversexualizations of female characters (in all seriousness, likely the majority of the female contact he receives) and devotes his life to such games, is not going to be too ecstatic about somebody appearing that wishes to end/”expose” the misogyny in his games. He probably just wants to enjoy his virtual females with no interruptions - and God help whoever interrupts. They already exist in a culture of insults and “trolling” - it’s simply nature to them. On the surface this may seem like a case of “victim blaming,” but more so it is a question of curiosity - how in the world did she not expect this? As well, she must have attempted to make this a pretty big deal, or else nobody would even know about it in the first
Mr. Sawatzki
Thinking Skills / Period 5
15 November 2017
Deconstruction Essay #2 - How Trolls Are Ruining the Internet
”...the internet’s personality has changed,” writes Joel Stein in the article How Trolls are Ruining the Internet published in Time. Stein goes so far to describe the current state of the internet as “a sociopath with Asperger’s.” The article goes through examples and explanations of so-called “trolling” on the internet, as well as one study and two personal anecdotes, and comes to the conclusion that attention-seeking, often politically motivated individuals (usually right-wing, often dubbed “alt-right” by Stein) who post/send hurtful comments to/harass people (usually left-wing activists) are ruining the internet. …show more content…
What trolls do for the lulz ranges from clever pranks to harassment to violent threats.” As a quick note, a dismissal of the ideas that trolls are a “community” and have a sort of “manifesto,” as well as the common use of the expression “lulz” among said trolls, is due. Moving past the small details, there is a message here that I will attempt to reword: “Trolls, people that harass others on the internet for the fun of it with varying degrees of severity, are guided by the same principle, that being humor: namely, that humor is the goal of said harassment of individuals and it is nothing but a game.” This is an accurate description of trolls. Stein gives an example of one of the most vile forms of trolling - “doxxing.” Doxxing is a form of trolling taken to the extreme which involves publishing personal data (Social Security number, credit card number, etc.) about a victim on the Internet for all to access. There is no doubt this has happened before and continues to happen, but Mr. Stein here implies by the sentence right after it - “When victims do not experience lulz, trolls tell them they have no sense of humor” - that this is a common occurrence, on par with all other forms of trolling (name-calling, etc.) This is definitely not the case, as it happens much less often and is rarely simply for the “lulz.” Overall, this claim …show more content…
Sarkeesian reportedly received bomb, doxxing, and rape threats from many gamers/trolls after she attempted to fund a series of YouTube chronicles that expose the “misogyny” in video games. It would provide some insight for us to examine the personality of a hardcore gamer (the people who will actually say/threaten such things). A hardcore gamer, who likely plays numerous games that involve overt and brash oversexualizations of female characters (in all seriousness, likely the majority of the female contact he receives) and devotes his life to such games, is not going to be too ecstatic about somebody appearing that wishes to end/”expose” the misogyny in his games. He probably just wants to enjoy his virtual females with no interruptions - and God help whoever interrupts. They already exist in a culture of insults and “trolling” - it’s simply nature to them. On the surface this may seem like a case of “victim blaming,” but more so it is a question of curiosity - how in the world did she not expect this? As well, she must have attempted to make this a pretty big deal, or else nobody would even know about it in the first