How to Turn Off a Troll Once and for All
Even if Twitter finally banned the Nazis (lol, yes, that’s right), there will always be boring, dumb, annoying and bad people on the Internet. Sometimes they find what you have posted on the Internet and bother you about it. How to deal with them without feeling like shit? We got advice from Eli Yudin, Community Manager at CollegeHumor, whose job it is to communicate with strangers on the Internet.
Fry the trolls
Shaming your trolls can be fun. Do it publicly, where your regular audience can see and support it. Most of the trolls attack you, a weak imaginary version, so they can be easily defeated in their own game. Here is an example of Yudin’s work:
With all due respect to Yudin, a crushing blow is clearly not needed to defeat the troll. You just need to show that you are not intimidated, impressed, or surpassed. If a troll has come to your page or channel to bother you, take advantage of your home court and play for your audience.
By showing someone an example, you are showing other trolls that they are only dishonoring themselves. Yudin compares their work to that of a substitute teacher, who sets the tone for how they react to their first disobedient student.
After you’ve roasted someone, let them whirl in the wind with no further answers from you and let everyone watch. You’ve gone.
Ignore and disable stalkers
If that’s not your job, you don’t really have to reply to anyone online, and some strangers shouldn’t even get fried. “The idea behind trolls used to be to post something stupid,” he says. Now it is about targeted pursuit. “I think the word troll is too funny for that.”
There are certain patterns of behavior that Yudin never emphasizes with remarks, like any comments containing insults or in a clearly aggressive tone. Ignoring (and ignoring or hiding) an offensive comment while using positive or bona fide comments around it sends the message.
Interacting with these good comments and responses encourages you to do the same and helps you forget the bad ones.
Calmly admit the boring
Even people with good intentions can be boring and annoying. Some riffs for your joke will be less clever. If you are a woman, men will try to explain your joke to you. You can fry it or ignore it, or you can quietly say “like” to make them feel recognized and shut up.
Don’t waste too much time answering people who missed your joke or took you too literally. They, too, will misunderstand your answer, and you will fall into the “really” trap. Even if you’re right, you often tire people who get your joke. (This rule applies more to men than women. Women who shame pedantic men will always be funny and nice.)
Don’t go off the rails
Yudin also avoids being drawn into unrelated political conversations. “Facebook’s comments on CollegeHumor are inappropriate to address the concept of reverse racism.” You are not obligated to participate in anyone’s discussion, even if it is attempted in your online space.
To take care
No matter how you act from the outside, you can actually feel pain from the inside. Pay attention to the story you are telling yourself. Have you thought about what this asshole on the other end of the line really looks like now?
“When you imagine them rubbing their hands angrily on the other end of the line,” says Yudin, “this person seems so sad that you can just say,“ What are you doing? “”. You don’t need to empathize with him, you just need to remind yourself how little they have power over you.
It should not be. But most online platforms have given up on the responsibility of banning stalkers and fanatics, so if decent people want to keep participating, we have to deal with it. Now give me a moment to emotionally prepare for this comment section.