Who: An internet troll is anyone on Facebook or Twitter who comments on posts that do not relate to the original post. Instead, they try and promote fake news or bring up a random topic of discussion which is usually controversial. In Russia, these groups are often hired by the Russian government to try and wreak havoc in America and stir arguments, making Russia and there style of government look superior.
What: When something very controversial happens in the US, Russian media trolls upload lots of posts, usually biased, to try and create a larger divide between groups of people. They try to make the topic more controversial, which causes groups to get mad at other groups. This works right in their favor of trying to make the US look broken. To sum it up, Russian media "trollers" work to fan the flames on an issue and divide the nation.
Why: The goal - to bring down democracy and rip apart the US. If these Russian media trolls can cause groups in our nation to divide and argue, they have successfully completed their job. Now Russia looks better and its government appears to be run better and be more stable. Another reason Russian media trolls spam social media is to try and get you to vote for a certain individual or law that could be beneficial to Russia in some way.
How to Protect Yourself: Every time you browse the internet, check social media, watch a video, or even check you email, you are a possible target for a Russian troll. They are able to put ads or pictures in so many places, that just by turning your phone on these days you are at risk. There are ways to protect yourself though. You need to be careful where you are getting your information from, since many sites aren't trustworthy. Also, don't trust social media ads. Don't open up an ad on social media that sounds very controversial, because there is a good chance it is a Russian media troll.
