If we could just eliminate trolls from the Internet the world would be a friendlier place, right? Not exactly, says HSU Communication Lecturer Whitney Phillips.
In her recent book, This is Why We Can鈥檛 Have Nice Things: Mapping the Relationship between Online Trolling and Mainstream Culture, Phillips argues that trolling鈥攚idely considered obscene and deviant鈥攊s actually just a reflection of contemporary society and our cultural values.
鈥淲hat trolls do is engage with a sensationalistic story and try to incite emotional responses to upset people. It鈥檚 exploitative and it鈥檚 problematic, but it鈥檚 exactly how sensationalistic media works,鈥� says Phillips. 鈥淚t鈥檚 how you get paid views in a web-based click economy.鈥�
Phillips鈥� research focused on self-identifying trolls on 4chan, an anonymous image-based bulletin board launched in 2003. Specifically, she looked at users on 4chan鈥檚 /b/board, one of the Internet鈥檚 most infamous and active trolling spots.
To get inside the minds of trolls, Phillips infiltrated their world. She spent six years interviewing trolls and spent thousands of hours observing their bad behavior online.
What she found is that trolling often amplifies the ugly side of mainstream behavior. In other words, trolls capitalize on social beliefs and attitudes like misogyny, racism, ableism, and entitlement.
鈥淭rolling ends up being this grotesque pantomime of what is totally normal,鈥� says Phillips. 鈥淲hen it comes down to it, the bad guys online are not that different from the good guys.鈥�
Phillips doesn鈥檛 believe that trolls should be left off the hook ethically. But she does believe that the societal issues that allow their behaviors to flourish should be addressed.
鈥淚f lawmakers and pundits really are serious about combating trolling, they should first take steps against the most racist, misogynist, and homophobic discourses in mainstream culture,鈥� she says.
She also believes that sensationalistic media is largely to blame for their prevalence.
鈥淎s long as sensationalistic media is rewarded with page views and ad revenue, trolling will always have an outlet and an audience,鈥� she says.
Phillips recently read excerpts from her book at SXSW 17 in Austin, Texas. For more information on the book, or to purchase it online, visit .
To interview Phillips, email [email protected].
RSS