The True Cost of Internet Cruelty

🔍 Key insights

• Trolling isn't neutral, it’s performative cruelty – Many online comments aren't impulsive; they're crafted to earn approval from a group, often at someone else's expense.

• Empathy is easier, and more radical, than we think – Choosing not to mock someone isn’t some grand moral feat. Sometimes, it’s just about pausing before pressing “Post.”

• We disconnect to feel superior – From mocking vegans to humiliating influencers, trolling is often less about truth and more about establishing social status.

📚 Go deeper

🎥 Related videos:

• Why Do People Troll? by LearnFree – Introduction to the motivations of trolls and what to do about them.

• The Psychology of Trolling by SciShow – A look at the psychology behind trolling.

• Are Internet Trolls Psychopathic? | Sadistic, Narcissistic & Antisocial Personality by Dr. Todd Grande – Diving into the personality traits related with trolling online.

📖 Further reading:

• So You've Been Publicly Shamed by Jon Ronson – Explores how digital shaming collapses lives and warps normal moral responses.

• Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman – Although older, it helps contextualize how turning public discourse into entertainment leads to mass desensitization.

💡 Think for Yourself

• Have I ever laughed at suffering: not because it's funny, but because it made me feel "normal" or safe in a group?

• If I met the person I’m joking about face to face, would I still say it?

☁️ Thought Experiment

Imagine you're the subject of a viral joke. You can't reply. You can't move. But you can still read every comment.

Now scroll your favorite platform. Which post would you beg someone not to write?

---

Cheers,
Kevin