Chances are that, unless you live under a rock, you have by now become familiar with the term troll. The name is thrown around everywhere now a days, from internet forums to political debates. The troll relevant to today is an entirely different species than the mythical creature bearing the same name. A troll is someone who deliberately makes an offensive or provocative statement or action with the aim of upsetting or eliciting an angry response from another. If you have ever surfed the waves of the world wide web you no doubt have come across a few yourself. Trolls however are not solely confined to the dark recesses of the internet, and they have a sinister and varied history, adopting many faces throughout the years. The troll has occupied many niches within modern society and adapted to perfectly target its prey of choice, the troll feeders. Let us have a brief look at the diverse lifestyles of the toll.
In the early days, before they evolved and spread to their current importance within our society, trolls were happy with the minor mischief they caused. What must be understood about troll physiology is that they thrive in technologically developed ecosystems, and they are quick to exploit any new development in that field. It wasn’t long after the invention of the telephone that the trolls call could be heard in every home. This call began with a shrill ring and was then followed by a “is your refrigerator running?” amongst all of nature’s beasts, birds, squirrels and crickets, the trolls call has certainly caused the most annoyance to humans. With the invention of the internet the troll experienced a great expansion to its natural hunting grounds. Numerous victims were claimed by the Rick Roll, and fed the gluttonous trolls in the comment sections of youtube videos.
All of this was but a precursor to the greatest success of the troll, domestication. As the wolf has benefitted from being tamed by the Ice Age hunter, so to did the troll by being domesticated by political organizations and governments. One has but to look at Russia and the vast troll farms that were set up there. In numerous facilities across the land trolls are kept in pens provided with the basic necessities for a troll to feed itself, a computer and internet access. What the troll farmers harvest is political clout. Many believe that Russian farms are so productive that, with the influence harvested, they are able to sway international elections and prevent ugly truths from ever seeing the light.
While the domesticated troll will likely become more and more prevalent it is important that steps are taken to ensure wild specimens do not die out. You can do your part. The next time you encounter trolling on the internet do not just gloss over it, make sure to leave a reply that will enable the troll to grow.