Arthur Brooks: Inside the Mind of an Internet Troll

What do your comments say about you? Years ago, early in my life as a public writer, and soon after comment sections became common in online publications, I published a very earnest article about the importance of loving one’s ideological foes. By that, I did not mean to tolerate our enemies or coexist with them in a bumper-sticker way; rather, as Jesus taught, to love them, no matter how their views make us feel. I genuinely believed the essay would be helpful, provocative in a constructive way, and I eagerly anticipated the response. As soon as it was published, like a newborn lamb wandering into a den of hyenas, I clicked on the feedback section. The first comment? “Arthur Brooks can eat a plate of hot trash.” It went downhill from there. Welcome to the world of hate-posters; the trolls who have infected all social media platforms and the comment sections of most publications. These are people who—usually anonymously—post inflammatory, insulting content on the internet that aims to upset others and disrupt conversations. You have no doubt encountered them in Instagram comments and Facebook groups. According to the Pew Research Center, 41 percent of Americans in 2020 said they were victims of some form of online harassment. The Cyberbullying Research Center reports that the percentage of adolescents who have experienced cyberbullying rose from 17 to 33 percent over the past decade.