Internet Trolls: Which States Admit to Trolling the Most
Dan Saltman2 min readOn this page
Categories:Digital Footprint
Internet trolls have become a widespread issue for Americans nationwide. In January 2022, Redact surveyed 3,846 social media users to find out how many admit to sending hurtful "trolling" messages online, and what they think should happen to trolls.
Key findings
- West Virginia has the most self-confessed trolls: 27% of social media users there admit to sending trolling messages. Delaware has the fewest, at 5%.
- 73% of Americans say they would report someone they knew if they were an internet troll.
- Almost half think that internet trolling should be a crime under federal law.
- Over 1 in 10 say the punishment for internet trolling should be community service.
Trolling by state
The table below shows the share of social media users in each state who admit to sending hurtful trolling messages online.
| State | Admit to trolling |
|---|---|
| West Virginia | 27% |
| Kansas | 26% |
| Oklahoma | 24% |
| Colorado | 23% |
| Maine | 23% |
| North Carolina | 23% |
| Florida | 22% |
| Georgia | 22% |
| Rhode Island | 22% |
| Alaska | 21% |
| Nebraska | 21% |
| New Jersey | 20% |
| Arizona | 19% |
| Iowa | 19% |
| Pennsylvania | 19% |
| Minnesota | 18% |
| Nevada | 18% |
| South Carolina | 18% |
| Texas | 18% |
| California | 17% |
| Mississippi | 17% |
| Ohio | 17% |
| Tennessee | 17% |
| Alabama | 16% |
| Maryland | 16% |
| New York | 16% |
| Oregon | 16% |
| Idaho | 15% |
| Vermont | 15% |
| Wisconsin | 15% |
| Indiana | 14% |
| Louisiana | 14% |
| South Dakota | 14% |
| Utah | 14% |
| Illinois | 13% |
| Michigan | 13% |
| Missouri | 13% |
| Kentucky | 12% |
| Massachusetts | 12% |
| New Hampshire | 12% |
| Virginia | 12% |
| Arkansas | 10% |
| Montana | 10% |
| Washington | 9% |
| New Mexico | 8% |
| Wyoming | 8% |
| Connecticut | 7% |
| North Dakota | 7% |
| Hawaii | 6% |
| Delaware | 5% |
Survey of 3,846 respondents; January 2022.
Clean up what you posted
A post written in anger can follow you for years. Redact scans your history across platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Reddit and Discord, so you can find and delete old comments and messages you no longer stand behind.
