Trolling ourselves to death? Social media and post-truth politics

Abstract

There are at least two ways of framing the problem of post-truth politics. One is to focus on the media, or journalism. A second is to focus on media, or technologies of communication. Between the two, which can be said to be the driver of our post-truth world? This paper follows the second framework, locating the problem of post-truth politics in social media. It further suggests that trolling has gone mainstream, shaping politics and even legislation. Adding a twist to Neil Postman’s (1985) classic thesis, I argue that we are not so much amusing, as trolling ourselves to death.