As an important part of the public domain of today’s society, the Internet’s public space created by its decentralized network structure provides great convenience for the public to exchange information, share feelings and discuss public affairs. However, the network is not an ideal public domain paradigm.
Considering today’s cyberspace, because of the large number of users who are keen to linguistic violence and provoke network warfare, the interaction of equality, rationality and friendliness on the Internet is being eroded by suffocating invectives and attacks. Language abusers on these networks have a special name: Internet trolls whose act is defined by Buskles et al. (2014), as “the practice of behaving in a deceptive, destructive, or disruptive manner in a social setting on the Internet with no apparent instrumental purpose” (p. 97). These people post things on the Internet, intending to irritate others. Groshek and Cutino (2016) conclude that mobile or web-based content tends to show more incivility and impoliteness (p. 1). Therefore, today’s Internet environment provides a broader place for the breeding of malicious speeches.
These speeches have a destructive influence on public cyberspace. First, because Internet trolls use more insulting and offensive language, the controversy that could have formed a consensus through rational discussion usually becomes a vulgar verbalbattle at last. Secondly, these speeches and comments are inflammatory and contagious with the rapid spread of the Internet, leading to the stigmatization of specific people. In the famous Chinese director Kaige Chen’s movie Caught in the Web(2012), the heroine becomes embroiled in controversy after a cell phone video of her being disrespectful on a bus to an elderly person goes viral. As a result, she begins to face huge public pressure which destroys her whole life. Actually, it is understandable that the heroine shows disrespect to the elder person because she has just diagnosed cancer and is in bad mood. However, because of the inflammatory and contagious feature of the Internet, she becomes the target of public criticism and suffers from unwarranted stigmatization. Third, the increasing proportion of the young Internet trolls is causing more campus bullying. Mobile phones and personal computers are gaining widespread popularity and use among the younger age groups so the cyberbullying happens regularly on campus. The Internet allows these young people to send harassing e-mails or instant messages, post obscene, insulting, and slanderous messages to online bulletin boards, or even develop Web sites to promote and disseminate defamatory content (Patchin & Hinduja, 2006, p. 153).
Many essays have addressed the relationship between media use and political engagement. Chan, Chen, & Lee (2017) examine the roles of mobile and social media in political participation in three Asian societies: mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. From my observation of these three societies and the understanding of the reading, although the three East Asian societies share the social norms and values (p. 2004), the performance of Internet trolls in the three societies are different. I always read those malicious Chinese comments on Weibo, Instagram and Facebook and try to conclude any difference. Internet trolls in mainland China post comments using metaphors and trending memes to make people feel irritated but also funny at the same time, while Taiwan Internet trolls write up comments in a more direct way. The different styles of Internet trolls reflect the two societies’ political climates and citizen’s political participation. However, whether we are in any society, we should avoid any behavior of Internet trolling to create a clean cyberspace environment.
Habermas (1974) concluded the concept of the public sphere as “a realm of our social life in which something approaching public opinion can be formed” (p. 49). A public sphere filled with Internet trolls will not form fair and just opinions. Cyberspace is a spiritual home shared by millions of people. A cyberspace filled with linguistic violence is not in the interest of the majority, because in the public space, unconstrained personal behavior often infringes the interests of others and ultimately damages public welfare.
How to reduce the harm of Internet trolls and avoid being such an attacker in the Internet public sphere? All in all, reducing the harm of cyber violence under the premise of guaranteeing citizens’ freedom of speech still requires the joint efforts of the whole society.New media era puts new demands on “gatekeepers”. Not only traditional communication policy makers and legal regulators, every network user himself should be a “gatekeeper”, strengthening self-management, enhancing personal cultivation, and preventing himself from becoming an Internet troll.
Works Cited:
Buckels, E.E., Trapnell, P.D., & Paulhus, D.L. (2014). Trolls just want to have fun. Personality and Individual Differences, 67, 97-102.
Chan, M., Chen, H., & Lee, F. L. (2016). Examining the roles of mobile and social media in political participation: A cross-national analysis of three Asian societies using a communication mediation approach. New Media & Society, 19(12), 2003-2021. doi:10.1177/1461444816653190
Groshek, J., & Cutino, C. (2016). Meaner on Mobile: Incivility and Impoliteness in Communicating Contentious Politics on Sociotechnical Networks. Social Media Society,2(4), 205630511667713. doi:10.1177/2056305116677137
Habermas, J., Lennox, S., & Lennox, F. (1974). The Public Sphere: An Encyclopedia Article (1964). New German Critique, (3), 49. doi:10.2307/487737
Patchin, J. W., & Hinduja, S. (2006). Bullies Move Beyond the Schoolyard. Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice, 4(2), 148-169. doi:10.1177/1541204006286288