OT: Researchers find online trolls are actually sadists
Maybe this is not surprising.
I always thought they were just simply douchebags, however, Canadian researchers further classified the behavior finding that admitted online trollers answered questions that scored higher in the "tetrad" of narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychpathy and sadistic personality type in psychologial testing. They got that going for them, which is nice...
http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/11/tech/web/online-trolls-sadists/index.html…
February 12th, 2014 at 5:27 PM ^
"trolls are offensive for the sheer enjoyment of it."
THAT I always knew...but very informative article.
February 12th, 2014 at 5:29 PM ^
Not a surprise from what I've seen both as a mod and dealing with that kind of stuff from "actual" users as well.
February 12th, 2014 at 5:30 PM ^
February 12th, 2014 at 5:33 PM ^
to self-identify as trolls.
February 12th, 2014 at 5:40 PM ^
The stupid ones are easy, the posters that know that they're toeing a line and do it on purpose are the ones that get people angry.
The other traits don't surprise me, but narcissism and everything relating to a lack of empathy really are the hallmarks of troll behavior, at least from my e-psychoanalysis office.
February 12th, 2014 at 10:00 PM ^
Informative.
It's weird to think but your "e-psychoanalysis", although techinically amateur, I'm sure you're very much on to something in your observation and experience in dealing with people...and all you're doing is moderating an internet message board. That's not to downplay said moderating of this blog, by any means, but in the overall scheme of things it's a basic, simple interaction with people, not even face to face, yet one can learn so much about these types of people by doing so.
February 12th, 2014 at 10:35 PM ^
February 13th, 2014 at 12:17 PM ^
No, no, no, you've got it all wrong. Trolls are just the enlightened contrarians and the rest of us are just simple sheep. We're just too dim to see it.....because we're sheep.
Don't you see? DON'T YOU!!?
February 13th, 2014 at 9:10 AM ^
Read the comment section of any Detroit News or Free Press article. You'll want to cry. I then remember these people are voters and I cry more.
February 12th, 2014 at 5:35 PM ^
...A thread where Section 1 is unlikely to appear.
I kid. Well, not really.
February 12th, 2014 at 5:44 PM ^
This is a pretty interesting article really, and...
"Sadism is a tendency to take pleasure in other people's pain or discomfort."
*puts on sarcasm hat* That NEVER happens on a sports blog....NEVER....
February 12th, 2014 at 6:09 PM ^
I agree. BTW: anyone see the threads at 11 Warriors today?
February 12th, 2014 at 6:28 PM ^
February 12th, 2014 at 6:44 PM ^
sad about something. Probably their place in life.
February 12th, 2014 at 7:43 PM ^
Does that mean those who feed trolls are masochists?
February 12th, 2014 at 7:50 PM ^
My research shows that trolls don't exist, they're just idiots who say something stupid and then back off of it later 'ah haha i got you, I was just trolling, I don't really believe that.' Sure thing, buddy.
February 12th, 2014 at 8:59 PM ^
Also known by the more colloquially awesome name, Dark Triad.
February 13th, 2014 at 12:49 AM ^
What the study seems to neglect is that in life there are moments when such sadism may be an "understandable", normal" or even "desirable" human response. Sometimes I think that Sadism and Schadenfreude is a useful human emotion/behavior to counter what is perceived to be excess narcissism, vanity, egocentricism, entitlement, arrogance.
The less vanity, arrogance, entitlement, egocentricism observed in a system (society), the more this sadistic, schadenfreuliche behavior might seem inappropirate and/or out of place.
Example: A friend of mine recently showed me some NASCAR Inside the Line online game troller videos on Youtube. They videos are truly amazing. Hilarious. And quite shocking/sad too. It's weird how a stupid video game and these trollers could resuscitate over 150 years of North-South, Yankee vs. Rebel hatred. But there you have it.
February 13th, 2014 at 9:51 AM ^
Fire Beilein
February 13th, 2014 at 1:02 PM ^
I can't imagine a better coach! LOOK AT HIS RECORD!!11!!!!1
Oh...I see what you did there.