Title Trolls vs. Elves
Themes Privacy, Online bullying
Group size Minimum 3 participants
Time 60 Minutes
Objectives Introduction of the topic internet trolls and cyber bullying. Getting to know different types of Trolls.
Materials Print out the description of the different roles (Trolls, Elves & Humans)
Preparation
Count your participants. Complimentary to your countings print the descriptions for the participants (Reminder: Always
print some more than you need). You may put the chairs in groups of three (Alternative: Let the participants do it and
pretend it to be an energizer).
Step-by-step
Divide the participants into three groups: Trolls, Elves and Humans. Hand out the cases (attached in the handout) to the
participants. Let them read and understand.
Ask the participants, if they have any questions and everything is clear. Give them time to prepare strategies.
Divide the three groups into groups of three. Every group should contain a Troll, Elf and Human. (15 Minutes)
After that, start the simulation. (10 Minutes)
When they finished the simulation, start with the debriefing. (15 Minutes)
After the short debriefing start to inform your participants about Trolls. Therefore you should focus on the following
questions: What are trolls? Why do trolls happen? What do you think we can do with the trolls?
WHAT ARE TROLLS? A person who “posts a deliberately provocative message to a newsgroup or message board with the
intention of causing maximum disruption and argument”
“the posting of incendiary comments with the intent of provoking others into conflict”.
“Online trolling is the practice of behaving in a deceptive, destructive, or disruptive manner in a social setting on the
internet with no apparent instrumental purpose”.
Ask the participants to brainstorm on the features of the troll. (5 Minutes)
CLASSIC TROLLS: regular, old-type trolls, who act like that without apparent instrumental purpose. HYBRID TROLLS:
communicate a particular ideology and, most importantly, operate under the direction and orders of a particular state or
state institution.
Let’s deconstruct each of them: Give the roles and ask them to make buzz groups and then share with the whole plenary.
(5 Minutes for buzz)
WHY TROLLS HAPPEN? Give an open question to the participants - 5-10 minutes to discuss.
Explain the reasoning: The online disinhibition effect – the loosening of social inhibitions because of anonymity of the
internet. (John Suler – 2004)
1
Dissociative anonymity
2
Invisibility
3
Asynchronicity
4
Solipsistic Introjection
5
Dissociative imagination
6
Minimisation of authority