Auto-trolling

Auto-trolling, self-cyberbullying, digital Munchausen or digital self-harm is a form of self-abuse on the Internet. It is usually done by teenagers posting fake insults on social media, attacking themselves to elicit attention and sympathy. A study in 2012 found that about 35 per cent of those who did this felt better. Studies in 2016 and 2019 found an increase in prevalence in American adolescents rising from 6 to 9 per cent. In a 2011 study, boys were more likely than girls to admit to digital self-bullying. In a 2022 study published by researchers Justin Patchin, Sameer Hinduja, and Ryan Meldrum, US youth who engaged in digital self-harm were between five and seven times more likely to have considered suicide and between nine and fifteen times more likely to have attempted suicide.

Though digital self-harm can be done in various ways, it is usually done in a public or semi-public setting. Researchers Rinjani Soengkoeng and Ahmed Moustafa suggest that there are three types of digital self-harm. These are:

  • social development (either determine if one's friends would defend them or prove one's resilience)
  • personal gain (sympathy or entertainment)
  • manifestation of negative emotions (which can derive from mental health issues, stressors, or social rejection).

These appear to be common reasons for digital self harm according to Sameer Hinduja and Justin W. Patchin's 2017 study of American middle and high school students.

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