Hostility online: Flaming, trolling, and the public debate

Abstract

Whereas the amount of hostility found online increases, scholarly interest in online hostility is decreasing. In this paper, I discuss three questions central to the study of online hostility, namely 1) what role the text, the speaker’s intention and the targets’ perception should play in definitions of hostility; 2) whether hostility is always destructive or if it can also be productive in public debate; and 3) how to distinguish between destructive and productive hostility. I demonstrate the difficulties in defining online hostility and argue that rather than aiming for specific definitions, we should acknowledge the situatedness of rhetorical practice and, consequently, that the effects and ethical implications of utterances depend on given situations. In doing so, I aim to encourage renewed academic interest in flaming and trolling.

Online political hostility

“…pineapple on pizza). In this way, hostility has become a part of a 'rhetorical culture' where a hostile yet playful tone of irony and detached laughter is not only tolerated but expected (Andersen, 2021). Thus, future research should aim to provide more accurate conceptual definitions that are adapted specifically to online communication and include more systematic comparisons across platforms.…”

Towards a Cyberfeminist Framework for Addressing Gender-Based Violence in Social Media

“…• Can be openly misogynous in nature and is often targeted at women with threats and/or fantasies of sexual violence or incitement to sexual violence (Andersen, 2021).…”

Online Trolls: Unaffectionate Psychopaths or Just Lonely Outcasts and Angry Partisans?

“…All four must be clearly distinguished from impoliteness, online incivility, offensive, derogatory, and abusive language, or so-called "flaming." The latter depict forms of discursive hostility (Andersen, 2021), or hostile ways of presenting content-not the behavior itself. Accordingly, uncivil language could be used in connection with all forms of online hostility, albeit for different purposes and with different intentions.…”