4chan

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…

to thrive on 4chan’s /b/ section and through Twitter. Anonymous originated on 4chan’s /b/ section, which is a forum that random people can make random posts based on different ideas and things to do. The initiative behind Anonymous was created from 4chan that makes every post from a user labeled as “Anonymous.” Anonymous’s first operation involved the Church of Scientology when they wanted to erase Tom Cruise’s leaked…

one user can create multiple online identities for themselves (Ibrahim, 2008). “Avatarism” is more common on "nonymous" (opposite of anonymous) social media sites such as facebook and twitter than it is on other anonymous social media sites like 4chan (Mehdizadeh, 2010). Another main issue with social media in today’s society is its role in current events and politics. As with the issue of privacy and security, social media has found itself a role in the everyday lives of millions of…

In our society where information and entertainment are at your fingertips, few groups have captured the attention of the general public like the rise of QAnon. In the book The Storm is Upon Us, the author, Mike Rothschild, dives headfirst into the world of QAnon, and unravels its complex conspiracy theories and cult-like dynamics. The book examines QAnon's origins, growth, and societal impact. From the psychology behind its adherents to the ways that the ideals of the group permeate and affect…

Trolls post memes found on online forums like 4chan often demonstrate racism and alt-right ideas in the form of jokes. Dale Beran, a comic book writer and educator who follows such forums closely, says the memes and trolling transformed the idea of users making fun of themselves and identifying as losers…

We talk an awful lot about mass shootings in our society. Often used as an example in culture’s conversations on racial tension, mental health, gun control, and ‘zero-tolerance’ school policies, they are full of shock value. However, there is a detail I hear mentioned in many of these shooting cases that does not get pressed as a bigger issue. Reports often cite a shooter’s web postings as evidence of their plans, worldview, and mental and emotional states. However, what I never hear the…

How to Handle a Troll Trolls a new way to express negative feelings and thoughts through social media. Everyday users post thousands of thoughts, a dark side exists, where people/trolls instigate hate between followers. Many internet users as minorities have experienced something drastically. Which is known as trolls today are just people reflecting their feelings against followers. Showing impulses of madness against life. Trolls try to make people the same way they felt at some…

With the emergence of the internet and social media. We rapidly adopt a different facade for each site. This is akin to the offline identities that we construct for ourselves. This is comparable to an unlikely situation, whereby a person would be in the same room with their different groups of friends, colleagues, ex-partners, current partner, immediate and extended family members, all at the same time. However, this situation becomes the norm when it comes to social networking like Facebook and…

Howard Zinn once said “Protest beyond the law is not a departure from democracy; it is absolutely essential to it.” Objecting to laws has played a vital part in forming the country we live in today. An act as far back as The Boston Tea Party has been a key part to what has led to what we value here in The United States of America. Zinn, along with many other legendary social activists believe that civil disobedience is essential to bringing about social change in a democracy. A democracy…

Although Lord of the Flies by William Golding is a war novel and So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed by Jon Ronson is public commentary, both works possess significant factors which explain or expose underlying human savagery. Lord of the Flies primarily deals with friction between two boys leaders, Ralph, the savage and Jack, the civilized. So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed points out, however, the destruction or saving of people’s lives based on the rocky balance between savagery and civility. Both…