We Know How We Feel About Internet Trolls, but What Makes Them Tick?

Around here, we know a thing or two about the difference between constructive criticism, conversation, healthy debate, and trolls—despite the hate we receive from the scores we’ve banned from commenting. However, if you’ve ever wondered, “What are these people like in real life? How is it that the Internet is crawling with them, but real life is so different?” AsapSCIENCE has some answers.

The answers, perhaps expectedly, are about as complex as the Internet trolls themselves: they really are people who get a good feeling from inflicting pain upon others, and the Internet lets them do it consequence-free. Like obnoxious siblings, though, the best defense (if possible) is to not give them what they want: any reaction at all.

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