In internet slang, a troll is a person who posts inflammatory, insincere, digressive,[1] extraneous, or offtopic messages in an online community (such as social media (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc.), a
newsgroup, forum, chat room, or blog), with the intent of provoking readers into displaying emotional
responses,[2] or manipulating others' perception. This is typically for the troll's amusement, or to
achieve a specific result such as disrupting a rival's online activities or manipulating a political process.
Even so, Internet trolling can also be defined as purposefully causing confusion or harm to other users
online, for no reason at all.[3]
Both the noun and the verb forms of "troll" are associated with Internet discourse. Media attention in
recent years has equated trolling with online harassment. The Courier-Mail and The Today Show have
used "troll" to mean "a person who defaces Internet tribute sites with the aim of causing grief to
families".[4][5] In addition, depictions of trolling have been included in popular fictional works, such as
the HBO television program The Newsroom, in which a main character encounters harassing persons
online and tries to infiltrate their circles by posting negative sexual comments.[6]