Trolls up ahead!

Arcade in Paris, 2009

 As Instagram continues to grow, more and more people begin to utilise this social media tool. Majority of people use it for sharing fond memories or pictures they deem to be interesting, some look at other people's content, and others may use it as a tool in hope they gain fame and money. Among these users there are modern day 'Flâneur's' or as they're known today,  'Trolls'. These users look over people's accounts, watch people interact with posts, and post content on their own page. Though the difference of what these users do compared to regular users, is their reasons for doing it. In the blog post, A turtle on a Leash by Richard Prouty, a Flâneur is described as someone who is  "Taking in the sights and offering themselves up as spectacles in their own right" (2009). An example of this was also stated by Richard Prouty "It was fashionable to walk through the arcades with a turtle on a leash in order to enforce the slow pace really determined looking required" (2009).  

A modern day Flâneur may not walk a turtle, but the concept is very similar. Imagine an image on Instagram as an arcade with heavy traffic of people commenting or liking a photo. This part is especially important as designed spaces such as arcades "Inform and shape how we act in a conceptualized space and place" (Kuttainen, V.2017). 

The original Flaneur, 1842

These trolls click into a picture and in order to slow people down they simply start an argument by commenting something negative something that they know will be a hot topic for people, this comment is their 'turtle'. At some point this troll disappears as other users are left arguing against each other. They have created a large argument that may not be specific to the picture but people who feel outraged at this comment will argue back nether the less. These trolls feed off the attention they receive for creating an argument such like the Flâneur who thrives off the attention he receives as he leisurely strolls through arcades with his turtle. 

Trolls browse through Instagram with simply the idea of creating chaos, in the article: The Flâneur, the Tourist, the Global Flâneur, and Magazine Reading as Flânerie by Hazel Hahn, it is stated that for Flâneurs "There is no plan, no discernment for choosing to see what they see; they simply see everything that shows itself to them in the streets" (2014). This statement simply confirms that for a troll the content is not important but what is, is the affect they have. 

While it would be preferred for people to have free reign over what they choose to post and how people react, it is obvious Flâneurs and trolls are unavoidable. They thrive off the attention they receive and people, though they might not purposely think they are, give it to them. Flâneurs and trolls are proven to exist through the times and their very concept is in sync with our basic human nature.

Gavarni, P. (1842). Le Flâneur [The Original Flaneur]. Retrieved from: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rosler-LeFlaneur.jpg 

Hahn, H. H. (2014). The Flâneur, the Tourist, the Global Flâneur, and Magazine Reading as Flânerie. Journal of the Society of Dix-Neuviémistes, 16(1), 193-210. Doi:10.1179 

Kuttainen, V. (2017). Space and place. BA1002: Our Space: Networks, narratives and the making of place, week 4 notes [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from https://learnjcu.jcu.edu.au/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.jsp?course_id=_84764_1&content_id=_2759350_1 

Pixabay. (2009) Paris Arcade [Paris Arcade]. Retrieved from: https://www.pexels.com/photo/arcade-mall-paris-passage-279161 

Pouty, R. (2009) A turtle on a leash. Retrieved from http://www.onewaystreet.typepad.com/one_way_street/2009/10/a-turtle-on-a-leash.html