About Mocking:

Mocking relies heavily on tone—sarcastic, dismissive, or contemptuous—to convey disdain or scorn through jokes and quick barbs. Mockery serves as a rhetorical device to undermine the credibility of the opponent. In doing so, the issuer shifts the focus onto questioning their intelligence or rationality. Mocking and Belittling are closely related; people using these tactics often deploy them at the same time.

This tactic is pervasive across social media platforms, where brevity, wit, and “dunking on” the opponent are highly rewarded. Mocking can elicit strong reactions, quickly drawing likes and shares from people who agree with the mocker’s perspective. For example, the emotional charge around social justice issues makes them ripe ground for mocking as a way to rally one’s base and denigrate the opposition.

Mocking may feel satisfying to the issuer and their in-group because it’s so effective in earning “points” among like-minded individuals. It makes no attempt to educate or engage in meaningful discussion with the person being mocked; they are merely made the butt of a joke.

Attempting to defend yourself if you are being mocked online often results in the mockery worsening. The mockery also serves as evidence for the targeted individual or group that the other side is unreasonable or disrespectful, making them less likely to engage in future discussions.