I was a little naïve when I recently posted a very personal article here on Good Men Project, which drew some abusive comments via Facebook.
The comments included a suggestion of suicide. Mine, I assumed. Three people had ‘liked’ it.
Whilst I knew this had nothing to do with me, I felt stung. The fact that my personal contact details are available online alarmed me for a moment. Could the hate cross over into the real world? I wrote a post to the GMP authors group, to ask if others had been trolled and was flooded with suggestions and many kind expressions of support. Essentially trolling can’t hurt me if I don’t respond to it and understand that it’s not real.
I paused for a moment, to consider how vulnerable I felt about my fairly frank and confessional articles and whether this writing lark was still OK for me. I sought advice from the editors, who helped me to understand the ways of trolls. Apparently, they attack new writers — identified on Facebook with a newbie icon — and are systematic, more than responsive to people or content. OK great, so it’s not about me!
Trolling: the deliberate act of making random unsolicited and/or controversial comments on Internet forums with the intent to provoke an emotional knee jerk reaction from unsuspecting readers to engage in a fight or argument.#1
To my great sadness, I read a couple of days later that another new writer, female, had also been trolled and was upset. Again the community rushed in with support.
During the course of this educational but unsavoury process, I began to wonder how teenagers cope with trolling. It must be a lot harder for youngsters, so painfully sensitive around belonging and social status, to be trolled. The trolling is inflammatory particularly because it’s so vicious, discriminatory and thrives on difference.
It’s writhing hate, delivered directly to your weak spot, at no cost to the poster beyond their own karmic debt.
Our young men and women have it tough enough on social media, but if they are constantly buffeted by signals that they are not OK, from the random acts of violent strangers, particularly in a moment of vulnerability or tenderness, how can they manage their self-image? How do they develop resilience, good mental health and an open heart? Hell, how do they survive?
Not all do.
I’m relieved to report that where I live (NSW, Australia) trolls and cyberbullies now face up to 5 years in jail#2. This follows the death of 14-year-old Amy “Dolly” Everett, who took her own life earlier this year after being tormented by cyberbullies.
I am not about to silence myself for a few trolls, but I wish all our youth could be protected from this experience by the law, wherever they are.
If you or anyone you know needs help, talk to a mental health or crisis support phone service in your area/country.
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#1 https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Trolling
#2 https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-10-07/online-trolls-and-cyberbullies-in-nsw-face-tougher-new-laws/10348246
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Photo credit: https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/plate-dont-feed-trolls-forest-norway-700737379?src=978xc4aOk0OJB76XVUTNyg-1-23
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Starve the trolls, and eventually they will eat themselves!