The Cost of Being a Troll

Trolls are putting a lot on the line when they commit the harmful acts they pursue. As I was reading the article "Free Speech Doesn't Protect Cyberharrassment" by Danielle Keats Citron, I became aware of the many charges a troll can face if they are found guilty of their actions online. Maybe that's why trolls go online anonymously, because if their name is connected to those hurtful acts, they can face punishments such as months or years in prison or jail. However, because your name is anonymous or not shared with the world doesn't justify the fact that what a troll does is wrong. Those who find pleasure in leaving harsh comments on other's posts are doing something completely immoral. Sometimes the victims of this online abuse are mentally traumatized about what happened to them, leading them to potentially press charges on their attacker. These charges can range in severity of punishment, a few of them being cyberstalking, sexual invasions of privacy, and bias intimidation. If that's the case, is putting that unnecessary comment worth the potential punishment that one will have to face for their actions? Is having that crime connected to your name for your future employers or friends to see worth it? I do not know anyone who would agree with those. Sure, it's not the easiest thing to track down these "criminals"; however, with a rise in technological advancements, maybe sooner rather than later will it be easier to find the people who ruin people's lives by hurting them with words, pictures, or videos. And when that time comes, the punishments will not be worth it.