I don’t even think it’s a new behavior.
Asshats have always been around. It’s just that it used to be that you had to be physically in their presence to notice them. Now they have better reach.
But Trolls have always been a part of the human experience.
Oh, and they seem more prevalent because whiners also have a whole lot more reach on the internet. They’re as hard to avoid as the trolls. When not dealing with actual trolls, we’re dealing with whiners constantly whining about trolls, which is just another form of trolling imo.
Good point. I suspect distance increases the likelihood of trollish behavior, and whining, since in person most people don’t like to interact with trolls and whiners.