Social media was envisioned as a platform to connect people, share ideas, and democratise expression. Instead, it has transformed into a digital battleground, where insults are entertainment and cruelty earns applause. The menace of trolling, sadistically called “roasting”, has become one of the dirtiest habit of the age.
For the victims, trolling is not mere discomfort. It is a deep psychological assault that can cause anxiety, loss of confidence, and public humiliation. What makes it worse is how comfortably social media platforms host this toxicity, often boosting hateful posts under the pretext of “free speech” and “user engagement”.
From Indian cricketer Jemimah Rodrigues, mocked for her performance and appearance, to actors such as Priyanka Chopra and Samantha Ruth Prabhu, who face constant character assassination and body-shaming, no one is spared. Politicians such as K. Kavitha, Rahul Gandhi, Smriti Irani and Zohran Mamdani are relentlessly targeted. Even a senior official, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, faced waves of orchestrated ridicule during Operation Sindoor.
But beneath this chaos lies something far more organised and sinister. Political parties and their digital management teams operate like underground propaganda networks. Anonymous armies flood timelines, twist facts, and amplify hate. Fringe extensions, disguised as “fan clubs” or “support groups”, act as proxy battalions. It is nothing short of organised digital crime, using psychological warfare to manipulate public opinion.
The ecosystem is favourable for spreading hate and falsehoods. Proxy IDs and fake accounts push false content about religion, caste, and politics in staggering volumes. Sensational thumbnails on YouTube, WhatsApp forwards filled with fabricated narratives, and misleading infographics on Instagram or Telegram are all part of this machinery. These posts are carefully designed to influence impressionable youth and distort truth for political or personal gain.
Amid this noise, innocent teenagers often become unintended victims. They join social media for fun, to share pictures and connect with friends, only to find themselves body-shamed, bullied, or exploited. Idle users scrolling endlessly through feeds post thoughtless comments, unaware that their few seconds of amusement might cause someone lifelong pain.
The disturbing part is that social media companies earn millions in revenue from this engagement. Outrage sells, and algorithms reward it. Yet, lawmakers remain blind, and platform moderators stay indifferent. Compare this to traditional media. When I post a comment on a newspaper essay, it goes through strict moderation before being approved. That sense of accountability is the essential trait of responsible journalism; this is completely missing in the unregulated digital world.
And now, a new and far more terrifying wave is rising in the AI-powered misinformation age. With simple, freely available tools, anyone can create deepfakes, hyper-realistic fake videos, audio clips, or images that can ruin reputations in minutes. This technology, once confined to experts, is now in the hands of anyone with a smartphone.
The potential damage is enormous. Imagine political opponents circulating fake speeches, celebrities shown in fabricated compromising scenes, or religious leaders made to “say” things they never did. For trolls and roasters, AI has become a lethal weapon, amplifying falsehoods with chilling precision. In the wrong hands, it could trigger communal unrest, social distrust, or even international tension.
It is time the world recognised this as a digital pandemic. Regulatory frameworks must evolve urgently. Governments should establish AI ethics Boards, enforce stringent verification for digital content, and compel social media companies to flag or remove manipulated media within hours.
The real measure of progress is not how fast we connect, but how humanely we communicate. Civilisation collapses when cruelty becomes content, when lies become news, and when machines begin spreading hate faster than humans can contain it.
It’s time to reclaim our digital world before it damages our humanity. Behind every post is a person, behind every profile a pulse. Words typed in anger can destroy. Words spoken with compassion can heal. The choice and the future lies with us.
sureshbabu2222@gmail.com
Published – December 14, 2025 04:30 am IST
