I did it for the lulz

Matthew Costello and James Hawdon

Chapter 28 in Research Handbook on Violent Crime and Society, 2025, pp 460-478 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: This study examines why some online users justify sharing hateful content, or cyberhate, for fun, and compares them to those who use other rationales. Using a large sample of U.S. Internet users aged 18–26, logistic regression shows that men are more likely to see cyberhate as fun, and those with close ties to online communities or frequent targets of cyberhate are also more likely to hold this view. Additionally, individuals who value equality and empathy are less likely to find cyberhate fun, while those with a disregard for rules are more inclined to do so. The study highlights that those who see cyberhate as fun share both similarities and differences with those justifying it for retaliation. This work has important implications for attempts to reduce cyberhate. Indeed, mitigating such unwanted content first requires an understanding of why people create and share it.

Keywords: Cyberhate; Online hate; Cyberviolence; Trolls; Trolling (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
ISBN: 9781035317851
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