“Freedom of speech has become freedom of printing. They flood social media with their sometimes funny, often insulting comments: they’re trolls. Valentin Husson has taken a serious look at their case and drawn a little philosophy from it. He explains it to Aymeric Goetschy by recounting how internet trolls tell the story of our times …” — Brut

“The philosopher Valentin Husson publishes a stimulating essay on the troll phenomenon” — Le Figaro

Why has the Internet become the playground for trolls and haters?

Today, trolling is omnipresent, yet it is rarely examined in depth. What do these individuals, who sabotage online discussions, really seek? Why does this hatred so often take the form of anonymity? And what does it reveal about our society?

This essay uncovers the psychological and social mechanisms behind these toxic behaviors. It shows that trolling is not just a game: it is a symptom of a deeper malaise, rooted in resentment, and one that extends far beyond the confines of the web.