Social Media | Advice | Negativity
Tips on How to Deal With Nasty Trolls
Say the Magic Words
When I was growing up, a troll was someone that lived under a bridge or in a dank mountain cave. In fairy tales, they were traditionally two-faced and tended to enjoy creating chaos.
The Cambridge Dictionary online defines trolling as one who will: “try to catch fish by pulling a baited line through the water behind a boat”.
That sounds a lot like someone trolling on the internet today.
A troll tends to be someone who tries to start an argument online. Often they do that by posting criticism on your article or by making controversial statements. Sometimes they will personally attack you.
My basic strategy includes the following Magic words:
Ignore — Document — Block — Report — Delete
Ignore
The first rule is the hardest to follow. Don’t engage.
Just because someone comments on your article, it doesn’t mean you have to respond. What you wrote is your opinion. What they’re writing is theirs. You don’t have to agree.
They want you to respond. They want to engage you in an argument, as they insult you or your…
