Anđela Andrijević
Investigative journalist
Twitter had a negative effect on me when I was 16 years old, because everything I wrote there became a read for ridicule and insults without any agenda or reason. And perhaps the worst sentence that was addressed to me there was "kill yourself" by an unknown person. At that moment, it was already starting to suffocate me, to force me down and in that sense I was thinking whether that person might be right, even though it is a person who does not know me. Troll attacks also happened to my friends, which mostly consisted of insults based on physical appearance and intelligence. They often came from anonymous users. At the age when we were most vulnerable, trolling destroyed our self-belief.
These are not isolated cases. Jovana Filipović and her peers are just some of the many young people who have become targets of trolling on the Internet. This example shows how damaging trolling can be to mental and emotional health.
Trolling as a phenomenon, that is, a form of violence in the digital age, is often considered a harmless behavior, or improperly glorified as freedom of speech. One of the key mistakes lies in the fact that society ignores the fact that trolling exceeds the limits of freedom of speech when it is used as a basis for hate speech, threats and spreading harmful and destructive attitudes, inciting violence. Those who resort to this behavior often hide behind fake profiles, avoiding responsibility and legal consequences for their words.
After tragic mass murders, we witnessed a worrying "trend" of children and minors creating fake profiles, glorifying the killer and the act itself. The question arises, what is hidden behind the need of children to display such risky behavior and violence on the Internet? Psychologist Jelena Vukičević explains why teenagers are especially susceptible to this.
In situations of such tragedies, it is not unusual for so-called emotional or behavioral "contagion" to occur in those who, quite possibly, already have a compromised mental or emotional state. Through activities on social networks, by taking a role for or against, there is an ``emptying'' of emotional charge, frustration... and the feeling remains that what the person needed was achieved - he played something or vented, for example. In teenagers, this behavior can be manifested due to the characteristics of psycho-socio development in which there are: rollercoaster feelings, immature executive functions, exploration of possible positions in society. And in connection with testing, even breaking through boundaries, egocentrism, that is, the belief and feeling that their thoughts, feelings and behaviors are unique and important to everyone around them - the imaginary audience, as well as satisfying the need for power.
From needing reactions to harming others
In addition to teenagers striving to fit in with their peer group in order to be accepted, what other possible motives are there for Generation Z and other generations to exhibit behavior such as trolling?
"In teenagers, trolling comes from the need to have a satisfactory status/power in the peer group, which is satisfied in a wrong, bad way - by an organized attack on an individual or another group." Some do it out of boredom, some seek attention, some build their social influence/position in society. Some defend their rigid beliefs in this way, when they feel that someone or something threatens them. Trolls are those people who are insecure, tend to seek excessive stimulation, with antisocial, narcissistic and/or sadistic tendencies in behavior (here we do not mean personality disorder)", explains psychologist Jelena Vukičević.
Popularization of violence in society and on networks, instead of zero tolerance for violence
"On the Internet, it is also tested how such violent behavior is quoted by others. And the more users think that the cyber bully's behavior is good, that is, like it, the more they encourage him to continue. And not only that, others take him as a role model. So we are dealing with the effect of imitation" - emphasizes Katarina Kučer in her book "Cyberpsychology".
Therefore, when children support violence and spread negative attitudes through fake profiles and encouraging comments about mass murders, it can lead to the normalization of violence and negative values in society. This can have long-term consequences on the formation of moral values and behavior of young people, as psychologist Vukičević explains.
In a society in which the tolerance for violence is very high, in which violence is relativized and in which we have information from all spheres of society - from state authorities, through institutions, to entertainment programs - it cannot be avoided that children and teenagers adopt such patterns of behavior and achieve their own goals, satisfy some of their desires. Unfortunately, for a good part of teenagers today, the desire for popularity and confirmation of personal value via social networks is primary, and they are not afraid to do anything just to get that attention and popularity - from compromising the very self-content they share, through exposing oneself to dangers on the Internet, endangering others by committing digital/cyber violence
Consequences of anonymity and lack of content control
Internet trolling is fueled by a combination of factors such as anonymity, the absence of a culture of civilized speech, and insufficient content control. Anonymity gives users the freedom to initiate and maintain this behavior. In the absence of accountability and sanctions, many lose respect for others and lose the notion that there are human beings behind the keyboard. This allows harmful content to be spread and attacks to be carried out on others.
"The most alarming thing is that many who troll enjoy their actions, whether they are rewarded with views, popularity or even money." This can lead to psychological satisfaction, a sense of power, dominance and the expression of frustrations. Without adequate restrictions, sanctions and support in adopting healthier ways of achieving goals, young people can structurally develop the characteristics of antisocial personality disorder".
It is assumed that teenagers, due to their lack of awareness, often do not think about this causal part of their behavior. Psychologist Jelena Vukičević explains what other possible consequences of this type of behavior problem are:
Victims of trolling can experience a variety of emotional reactions such as sadness, depression, anxiety, humiliation and guilt. These negative consequences can affect daily functioning, including disturbances in sleep, eating, learning and work performance, as well as social withdrawal and the possible development of delinquent or self-injurious behaviour. Exposure to cyberbullying can seriously compromise the victim's mental health and cause trauma. Even bystanders of trolling can be traumatized, resulting in similar reactions to the victims, or they may side with the perpetrator.
The Werther effect and encouraging identification with negative examples
Some research shows that the media has the power to encourage young people to adopt certain behaviors and ways of thinking after mass murders and other extreme events. Psychologist Jelena Vukičević confirms this, emphasizing that the media have a responsibility to report ethically in order to reduce the risk of negative consequences for young people.
„The Werther Effect, in addition to reporting on suicide, can also refer to murders and mass murders, which provides detailed, incomplete and non-objective information, shares information that is not of public importance and romanticizes events. Especially among adolescents, there is a great possibility of identification with such information, which can encourage the desire to carry out similar acts as a way of solving their own crises", stresses psychologist Jelena Vukićević.
It is recommended that the media focus on improving mental health, psychosocial support and violence prevention.
Parents and adults as critical support or risk factor?
After the mass murders there were cases of threats by minors that related to an attack on someone's life. Children and minors, as psychologist Jelena Vukičević points out, do not know normative frameworks and criminal acts, and a major problem in the prevention of behavior and suppression of violence is the collapse of trust in experts and in the system. There is also a lack of adequate support from parents.
Adults react to the same forms of behavior differently depending on the age of the child, thus: at the earliest age, they may ignore or minimize problematic forms of behavior; at an older age/around puberty, they consider problematic forms of behavior as a transitory phase/crisis of growing up and react to them not always in the correct way (although with good intentions and love); at the age of 14, some of these behaviors become criminal offenses by law and are severely punished by adults in the family, school, community where the child grows up.
Suppressing trolling as a major challenge on Twitter
Studies and research, such as those conducted by the BBC, reveal alarming data on the increasing number of new accounts on social networks that support and promote abuse, and especially misogynistic attitudes. According to a BBC survey, as many as 69% of new accounts follow such profiles.
"Such behaviors are extremely harmful to the general public, because they maintain an atmosphere of high tolerance for violence and traumatize every individual in society who is exposed to such content. Relativizing the existence of violence and its consequences has negative consequences for all of us and requires urgent measures and engagement to counter this growing threat. In order to protect society and create a safer digital environment, it is necessary to actively suppress trolling and promote a culture of respect and tolerance", emphasizes psychologist Jelena Vukičević.
Education is key to understanding the phenomenon of online violence. It is necessary to be informed about its characteristics and consequences through relevant sources.
“When we recognize violence, let's save the evidence, report the violence to the authorities. After gathering evidence, we can block bullies to protect ourselves and others. It is also important to maintain privacy on social networks and limit contacts to famous people from the real world," concludes psychologist Jelena Vukičević.
* The text was created for the campaign on mental health of young people <3
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