Internet trolls are not a new thing. They’ve crept into our lives over the past 10 years, turning comment sections into battlegrounds, taunting public figures, and spreading the kind of fear and hate your average high school bully could only dream of.
Most of us have learnt to ignore them – we hit the block or mute button and move on. We skip over their comments and only briefly wonder how someone could be so angry, so mean, so incapable of human compassion and empathy.
We shake our heads and imagine a sad little man who lives in his parent’s basement and thinks the world owes him something.

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I remember those comments, the relatives and friends were attacking anyone for commenting, no matter what was said, so in this particular scenario, the relatives and friends were the trolls.
I think most Trolling is done by men. They develop a more heavy sense of gallows humour after being conditioned not to cry or seek sympathy and support. It's a male coping mechanism to deal with difficult situations. Not saying it's right or wrong, it just is, in the same way men insult each other is usually a sign of acceptance and mate ship, at least in Australia.
So whilst I don't think we can end Trolling, it's good to draw attention to the ways it can hurt.
I don't know about that, I think women can be equally horrible when put into a anonymous situation. I agree that the conditioning of men not to show emotion can have negative affects, but I think that is a bit of an excuse for the behavior as the vast majority of men I know and love are wonderful people who would be horrified at some of the nastiness that trolls write online! Minor Insults are one thing, but making fun of people who have died or stillborn babies is a complete different level and shows a deep psychological issue.
Yes and no Less - I just think there are ASSHOLES in this world (male and female), and trolling is an anonymous crime they get away with because they are small minded people who have nothing better to do with their lives than belittle others. usually these same people are the ones that wouldn't have the "balls" to do it to people's faces.
No, it's deeper than that. The sheer abuse I have gotten for merely sharing an opinion (sometimes just on music or something else fairly innocuous) is astounding. It might be that between the men (and I doubt it), but when men do it to women, they are trying to intimidate her into silence, at least that is how it feels to be told to slit your own throat (and that is the cleanest one I can type here) when giving an opinion on Radiohead. Like, because I'm female, I have no right to an opinion on music. None of the guys I know ever get sent stuff like that for their music opinions, even when they are being deliberately flaming.
Another reason, I think, is to make someone feel worthless because the troll him/herself has low self esteem and self worth, something I see in girl trolls (like the ones who were targeting my son). I think that is why people troll dead people, because they feel bad about themselves.