What is Trolling and How to handle it?

Recently I became a victim of the trolling on digital medium so much that it led me to think whether I should on digital platform expressing my views in any form. But me being me I had a word with other fellow social media influencers, some said they had to leave social media after being trolled while some have learned to take it with a pinch of salt. Before understanding how to handle the troll. let us understand what is trolling? Who does troll? And then trolling?

Trolling word comes from the fishing industry where you systematically place baited line along behind a boat. So, what happens in the online world, bait is also left behind to catch you instead of catching fish. People who troll are the ones who write antagonist remarks online to provoke someone. Sometimes its just difference of opinion and sometimes those comments can be mean and insult. So, troll or the bait can lie anywhere in the spectrum, but the main aim of them is to dangle the bait and we are the fish for them.

Why this is so easy on the internet as compared to earlier times? There are many social platforms where you can be present as a fake id and fake profile pic without revealing your identity. People taking advantage of anonymity know they will not have any consequences about it. People feel powerful with one thought process and promote it even if that means it can be hurting to others. Generally, people come to social media to be liked and validation, and when they see the negative potency many starts to leave it and never to return. While the one who trolled fancied the mischief and hurt and attention, they got in return and the one with low self-esteem feel dejected and feel humiliated publicly.

“Words communicate the person that you are.”

So how do we deal with a troll? Well, do not take the bait and do not respond with emotions. Internet is the best place because you do not have to reply immediately, you can craft your response if something hurts you. If someone who has commented, and you feel obliged to reply just reply with an interesting point of view or nice these words are neutral nothing positive or negative about it. Use the neutral words so you do not let their troll take importance over your content. In case somebody’s remark is derogatory then feel free to define your boundaries assertively and say you don’t like it and would like to keep the discussion healthy and let them be happy with their choice of thought process in the free world. ” Words may be either the servants or masters” So choose your words to be your biggest weapon rather than the biggest threat