What’s My Point: Internet Trolls

The issue of internet “trolls” and “haters” has been a hot topic of conversation for years. I’ve always had strong opinions about it and have had yet to share them. Well, again I was trying to relax and take a nap when the idea for typing this post popped into my head and I couldn’t ignore it. So I’d like to share with you my take on this issue. Granted I’m probably not going to say anything that hasn’t already been said, but regardless, what I have to say is still valid.

To begin with, what classifies someone as a “troll” or a “hater”? In my opinion and in the most simple definition, it’s someone who in this case uses the internet for evil instead of good. I was watching the Olympics opening ceremony and if you watched you’ll probably remember the Cirque Du Soleil style “4 decades of British music” dance number at the beginning called “Frankie and June Say Thanks Tim”. At one point the “Tim” mentioned in the title, Tim Berners-Lee the creator of the World Wide Web appeared sitting behind a computer and typed out “THIS IS FOR EVERYONE” as it appeared across the stadium walls. The commentators had this to say about him: “he wanted to make sure the World Wide Web was for everyone to enjoy and no one to abuse”. As wonderful a concept as that is, when I heard that I sort of cringed out of knowing what the reality is.

I don’t see all of the trolling and hating that goes on online but what I have seen has shocked and disgusted me at times. The things people think they can get away with saying is quite unbelievable. Most of what I’ve seen has been on YouTube. I’m subscribed to many of the “beauty gurus” on YT and without a doubt on every video there’s always going to be at least one nasty, degrading, negative comment made towards the video or worse the person or people in it. Some of it could most definitely be classified as cyber bullying. I’ve heard of several people who’ve stopped making videos or taken long breaks due to constant negative comments and bullying. I know as someone who loves making videos and gets joy out of it, though I don’t do it as a YT partner on a regular basis, it would greatly sadden me if I felt I had no choice but to stop. I give a lot of credit for those on YT who continue on and are strong enough to ignore all of the negativity in the comments section that runs rampant these days.

Of course it’s not just on YouTube that trolls lurk and haters lay in wait, it’s everywhere, it’s just in some places it’s more prevalent. Myspace is a great example and for a lot of people it’s hater-central. I’ve heard mostly from different music artists that have Myspace pages that they’ve received a lot of hate mail from people who don’t like them for one reason or another. On Facebook it’s the same, I’ve seen in the comments on band pages loads of people who clearly only go there to spread their less than kind opinions. My question is, what’s the point in doing so? If you don’t like someone or something that’s fine, everyone is entitled to what they like and dislike but if I don’t like a band or an artist I don’t listen to them. I don’t go trolling seeking out places to post negative opinions and bring every one of their fans down. That being said, the fans of whatever or whoever you snap at will always snap back so it’s probably best to just keep it to yourself.

I always get offended and upset when I see someone leaving negative or just downright mean comments about things or people I enjoy. Going back to YouTube, every time I see a negative comment I choose to balance it out by leaving a positive one. I don’t reply to any of the people I see leaving the hater comments because I do not wish to invite any drama into my world. There’s always someone else who is willing to do that anyway and so it becomes a diffusion of responsibility situation. It’s not that I don’t want to defend the person or the thing, I just know for me it’s not the best use of my time or energy, especially since starting a war with people like that gets you nowhere fast.

This brings me to my advice portion and what I would say to someone dealing with this issue. If you have negative people in your life, I know from experience it’s not easy. The best way to handle someone who says mean things to you or leaves you nasty comments online is the most obvious one: just ignore it. Do not engage them, do not respond, just let it affect you for a few seconds, then let it roll off your back and move on. Any time someone says something unkind to you or is being negative it’s a projection of their own issues and insecurity that they aren’t able to deal with. So remember to not take anything personally and know that you are not the one with the problem, they are. That’s the best advice I or anyone can give.

So what’s my point? Don’t feed the trolls and don’t engage the haters. The internet is indeed for everyone as it should be. However, some of the people in that inclusive “everyone” need to stop and think about how they’re using this life-changing invention. It’s as simple as “think before you type” or “think before you log on”. If you feel the need to constantly go online just to find ways to bring others down maybe you need to stop, think, and figure out why that is. Recognizing your own issues and shortcomings is never easy but it’s the first step to making the world less infected by toxic personalities. To everyone having problems with toxic or negative people, I understand your struggle. It’s hard to accept that there are some people who are just not beneficial and should not be welcome into your life. As someone who is very friendly, loving, and inclusive, that’s a very difficult concept to come to terms with. Still, I believe people are basically good and there are far more good people in the world than bad. The bad ones just need to wake up and realize their time would be much better spent spreading positive energy than negative. But until that happens, I intend to make good use of the “block”, “delete”, and “unfriend” buttons.