Worry trolling is when someone enters a discussion claiming to support the view but has concerns, sowing doubt and dissent. Clever worry trolling involves developing a believable character with legitimate concerns. Concern trolls can use fake accounts and distract from serious issues. Ignoring trolls is best, but it can be difficult to distinguish them from genuine concerns.
Worry trolling is a form of Internet trolling in which someone enters a discussion claiming that they support the view of the discussion, but that they have concerns. In effect, the worry troll opposes viewing the discussion and use the worry troll to sow doubt and dissent in the commentary or poster community. While this practice originated on the internet, it has since spread to the real world as well, with concern trolls cropping up in a variety of places from network television to editorial columns.
Clever worry trolling involves developing a believable character as an advocate for a cause who has legitimate concerns. In an example of concern trolling, a group of people might have a political discussion on a website about a candidate they support. The concerned troll would log on and say, “I’m concerned that this candidate might not be strong enough to beat the opposition” or “I’m concerned that the candidate’s history in the Legislature might be a problem in the election.”
Once a concerned troll has sown dissent or discord, they can often sit back and let other commenters do the rest of the work. When a concerned troll has done its job correctly, discussion will split, factions will emerge, and support for the cause will erode. The troll of concern can also be very distracting, as people band together to stand up to the troll of concern, rather than discussing serious issues, including valid concerns that should be addressed.
Depending on the context, a concerned troll may use a sockpuppet, a fake account that hides his true identity. In some particularly infamous cases, members of political campaigns have trolled the opposition using puppet accounts with the aim of undermining grassroots support. When these cases are discovered, it can be quite embarrassing, as trolling is generally seen as a sneaky and often questionable tactic.
Many people think the best thing to do with internet trolls is to ignore them. By refusing to give them anything to feed on, users can continue their discussion and stay focused on the issues they want to talk about. However, it can be difficult to distinguish a concerned troll from a devil’s advocate, or someone who genuinely supports the cause but has concerns. Suggestions that someone is a troll of concern include a recent registration date, for sites that require registration to post, along with minimal personal details in a user account. The troll of concern also tends to come from people with no comments or posts, so if a brand new user shows up and starts raising concerns, it could be a troll of concern.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
