📑 Why people troll others online & How to respond to trolling behaviors

• Anonymity – People believe they can say anything and get away with it;

• Perceived obscurity – People believe their online expressions are fairly private;

• Perceived majority status – People believe their opinion or experience is the majority, and that people agree with them;

• Social identity salience – People believe that their online identity means more than their offline identity. That is, online they are guided by “mob mentality” and mimic members of their group;

• Surrounded by their friends – People believe everyone in their network, or online social circles thinks and acts like they do;

• Desensitization – People over time see others make so many nasty comments, or they do it themselves, that it doesn’t seem like such a big deal;

• Personality traits – People are sometimes outspoken by nature, and believe they can express themselves online without a filter;

• Perceived lack of consequences – People weigh the risk vs. reward of engaging in these behaviors and believe that the benefits outweigh the costs.