democracy in the age of social media Hannan, Jason 1976- creator author. text bibliography Electronic books. nyu 2024 monographic eng 1 online resource (unpaged). "We commonly think of trolls as anonymous online pranksters who hide behind clever avatars and screen names. Trolling Ourselves to Death reveals how the trolls have emerged from the cave and now walk in the clear light of day. Once limited to the darker corners of the internet, trolls have since gone mainstream, invading our politics and eroding our civic culture. Trolls are changing the norms of democratic politics and shaping how we communicate in the public sphere. Adding a twist to Neil Postman's classic thesis, this book argues that we are not so much amusing as trolling ourselves to death. But how did this come to be? Is this transformation attributable solely to digital technology? Or are there deeper political, economic, and cultural roots? This book moves beyond the familiar picture of trolls by recasting trolling in a broader historical light. It shows how trolling is the logical expression of widespread alienation, cynicism, and paranoia deeply rooted in a culture of possessive individualism. Drawing from Postman, Alasdair MacIntyre, Karl Marx, and Hannah Arendt, this book explores the disturbing rise of political unreason in the form of mass trolling. It explains the proliferation of disinformation, conspiracy theory, "cancel culture," and public shaming. Taking inspiration from G. F. W. Hegel, Paulo Freire, and bell hooks, this book makes a case for building a spirit of trust to counter the culture of mass distrust that feeds the epidemic of political trolling"-- Jason Hannan. Includes bibliographical references and index. Communication in politics Social media in government Online trolling Internet users Psychology Political participation Computer network resources JA85 .H3655 2024 Hannan, Jason, 1976- New York, NY : Oxford University Press, [2024] (DLC) 2023040389 0197557783 9780197557792 0197557791 9780197557808 0197557805 9780197557785 2023040390 https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&scope=site&db=nlebk&db=nlabk&AN=3702184 https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&scope=site&db=nlebk&db=nlabk&AN=3702184 EBZ 230902 20251029164109.0 on1398512752 eng