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Understanding the psychology of social media trolling

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Understanding the psychology of social media trolls (Photo: iStock)

In the vast, labyrinthine world of social media, there is a peculiar breed of individual - the troll. Armed with snarky comments, memes and a truckload of GIFs, these keyboard warriors are like the court jesters of the digital age.

They pop up in comment sections and threads like unexpected punch lines in a stand-up comedy show. But what drives them to be the way they are, and what happens to their victims when they launch their digital attacks?

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