Wednesday, September 2, 2015

Internet Trolls

Social media has created a whole new subset of people who lurk in the comment section of the Internet.  Anonymity is their weapon as the wreak havoc and destruction by hurling mean spirited remarks and responses throughout the social media world. 


You’ve seen these comments, not intended to add to the discussion in any real or meaningful way, but simply to hurl their word vomit at all of us.  My husband gets so infuriated when he reads their remarks, and he insists on responding.  This is how they win; they provoke people.  The problem is that no response will ever matter or change their mind.  A very wise old saying reminds us that ‘you cannot reason with the unreasonable.’ 
These people do not care who they hurt with their comments.  They are simply bored and seeking attention.  Compare these trolls to a three year old having a temper tantrum because their parent is not paying attention to them.  The best advice for dealing with these trolls is to IGNORE them.  If they are in a public comment section just skip over their comment.  Any response is fuel that stokes their fires of hatred and ugliness.  If a troll makes a comment directly on your page, simply remove it.  As Taylor Swift says, “haters gonna hate hate hate.” 

3 comments:

  1. I agree and there is a very useful button marked block, mute or unfriend. Great article thanks

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Sally - I will never understand why some people simply want to be mean, but I am glad I can 'ignore' them.

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  2. I get quite enough of that on my own doorstep...... Since I am quite an acerbic writer anyway, a troll would have to be quite clever to outdo my own comments on my life, so there. When the immediate ire dies down, one ought to feel sorry for such a failure, that their only claim to fame is bad grammar & a desire for destruction. The phrase 'get a life' occurs.
    At least they noticed the article in the first place......

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