ABSTRACT
Trolling. Flaming. Cyberbullying. Griefing. These are only a few of the terms used to describe conflictual behaviour in digital contexts. In many cases, in fact, “toxic” language and behaviour are seen as part-fand-parcel of our interactions online; we assume trolls, spammers and other “disruptors” (Graham and Hardaker, 2017) will be there and are often counselled on how to respond to the impoliteness and aggressive attacks that such individuals bring. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and Codes of Conduct (which provide guidelines for acceptable behaviour in given online contexts) appear across many digital platforms, including microblogs (e.g. Twitter), discussion boards and social network sites (e.g. Facebook). The fact that these guidelines for dealing with problematic behaviours appear with such frequency indicates just how “present” conflictual online behaviour is.
