A new psychology study reveals why people intentionally engage in conflict and stressful online trolls on the internet. The survey results are psychological reportprovide evidence that vandalism is more common among people with low self-esteem and high fear of missing out (FOMO).
“I have been researching online aggressive behavior for several years now,” said study author and doctoral student at the Federal University of Paraiba. Media Psychology Laboratory.
“This interest arose from two issues: the pervasiveness of social media in our daily lives and the ever-increasing use of it. That doesn’t seem to be the case in the environment, we say and do things that we would never do in ‘real life’, especially when it comes to aggression. Much of it stems from the anonymity and lack of regulation of the online environment, but it is also necessary to understand the psychological and social dimensions of aggressive online behavior such as trolling. “
The researchers suggested that people with low self-esteem might troll to make themselves feel better, while people with high self-esteem might use the Internet in more positive ways. FOMO (or fear that others are having fun without you) can also play a role. People who worry about being left behind may troll to get attention and not feel left out.
To test the hypothesis, the researchers collected data from 300 social media users living in different parts of Brazil in 2022. Participants were mostly single (50%), female (63%), and university students (18.7%), with an average age of 27.68. This study included his four psychological assessments: the Global Rating of Internet Trolling (Revised), the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, the Fear of Missing Out Scale, and the Antisocial Online Content Exposure Scale.
The study identified a negative relationship between self-esteem and online trolls. People who disagreed with statements like “I can do things like most other people” were more likely to troll. This supports the idea that people with low self-esteem may use trolling as a way to deal with negative emotions by externalizing their aggression.
Santos said he was a little surprised by the role of low self-esteem in trolling. “Although there was evidence for this hypothesis, research on the relationship between aggression and self-esteem continues to yield mixed results,” she explained. “But the idea that our self-image can motivate us to attack people who don’t know us at all is an issue that deserves further study in future research.”
Researchers also found a positive relationship between FOMO and online trolls. This is consistent with the idea that online aggression may help people with high FOMO avoid negative emotions and feelings of inferiority. This research suggests that online aggression can manifest itself not only in relationships, but also in direct behaviors such as trolling.
Additionally, researchers found that consumption of anti-social online content influenced both FOMO and self-esteem in trolling behavior. This suggests that people with low self-esteem and high FOMO are more likely to engage in offensive content online and, as a result, may be more likely to engage in vandalism.
Overall, the findings show that “online attacks have no simple explanation and are not only carried out by those at the extreme ends of the anti-social spectrum,” Santos told Cypost. “Our results show how personal dimensions such as low self-esteem and FOMO (variables associated with excessive social media use) interact with contextual variables such as violent media to reduce aggression. It shows that it increases positive behavior.”
This study provides valuable insight into the factors that influence online trolling behavior. However, this study has some limitations. For example, it relied on correlated data, which meant that causality could not be established. We cannot say for sure whether low self-esteem and high FOMO directly cause online trolls, or whether other factors are involved.
Santos said future research needs to further investigate “the role of violent media exposure as a risk factor for aggressive online behavior.” This is an area that has been extensively researched when it comes to face-to-face interactions, but is barely covered online. “
the study, “Low self-esteem and high FOMO? Beyond the internet trollsThe authors are Isabella Liandra Silva Santos, Deborah Cristina Nascimento Lima, Ericalla Veronica Almeida Diaz, Tais Emanuele Gardino Pessoa, Tamirez Tomaz Paiva and Carlos Eduardo Pimentel.
