My friend Sarita once showed me a goblin-like figurine that her uncle had given her. She explained that it was a troll, adding that, while the little fellow looked cute on her dressing table, trolls were not likeable creatures. This was over half a century ago.
I have now been teaching English for forty-five years and enjoy learning new words and those that have changed in meaning. One of my delightful discoveries is “troll.”
Although Sarita and I had discussed trolls long ago, in the 1970s, they were known to us only as characters in legend and literature. We had not encountered trolls elsewhere, for the simple reason that we had never heard of social media. Today, trolls are not just confined to fiction. We have only to open Facebook to come across ‘troll’, ‘trolling’ or ‘trolled’ in the descriptions of comments on posts.
Someone or other, we are told, has been ‘brutally trolled’. People tend to troll anyone who violates widely accepted behavioural norms and codes of conduct. While trolling can be humorous, on social media it is often cruel and malicious. When I read some particularly harsh statements, I recall Sarita telling me that trolls are unpleasant.
Of course, there are times when the victims of trolling seem to invite trouble. Common troll targets are those who have covered themselves in tattoos. While that is their choice, when they dolefully declare that they cannot get jobs, netizens feel obliged to pass judgment.
They explain at considerable length why they would hesitate to employ a person with a fearsome face and bizarre body.
Then, there is a celebrity who is regularly photographed by the paparazzi, clutching her daughter’s hand. The outspoken opinion, expressed in a variety of unkind ways, is that the child should be left alone. Dissenting voices are overwhelmed by sheer numbers. The trolls are triumphant.
I occasionally do a bit of trolling myself. I recently saw a picture of a man who had actually changed himself into a dog. There were a lot of ‘bow-wows’ and ‘woof-woofs’, and I joined the taunting trolls. Next time, I will resist the urge to respond. A New Year’s resolution worth making and not breaking: Stop trolling, keep scrolling!