Most of us have come across trolls on social media or in the comment section on blogs and news sites.
These internet trolls can be entertaining, annoying, completely devoid of manners, and at times downright malicious.
In this lesson, we will take a look at five common troll types to find out what their game is and how you can handle them.
Troll 1: The Prankster
This troll goes online to entertain themselves and others. They can take the joke pretty far and upset a lot of people, but are usually harmless. The Amazing Troll-Man belongs to this category.
Troll 2: The Broken Record
These trolls have only one thought in their head, and no matter what is being discussed, they will attempt to steer the conversation in that direction.
Talking about the rising fitness level of 6th graders?
They’ll ignore the topic, and throw in a random comment about climate change being a hoax for the sheeple.
The purpose of this troll is to derail the debate. In some cases, the trolls are employees in a troll farm, and are paid to spread various messages on the internet by clients. They don’t really care about debating, getting wiser, or having a meaningful exchange. They just want to vent (or make money if they are part of a troll farm).
Popular topics for these trolls are politics, conspiracy theories, immigration, feminism, climate change, religious and sexual minorities.
Troll 3: The Negative Troll
No matter how good the news is, these trolls manage to find something negative.
Did the local kindergarten just raise €500 for ‘Save the Children?
“That is just a drop in the ocean and nothing to brag about”, they’ll tell you.
Did your favourite athlete just win the Powerboat Racing World Championship?
“What’s so great about people racing around on the water and polluting everything?”, will likely be their response.
Powerlessness, jealousy, and Tall Poppy Syndrome fuels the negative troll. These ‘negative ninnies’ are unhappy individuals who consciously or unconsciously try to drag others down into the same misery that they’re living in.
Troll 4: The Sea Lion
These trolls ask a never-ending series of questions where no answer is ever good enough. Their motive is to waste your time, insult you, and discredit any information you provide.
Spotting the difference between a sea lion and people who are just genuinely curious is not always easy, but these questions may reveal their true colours:
- Do they ask for information that is easily accessible via a quick Google search?
- Has the same question been answered previously in the same discussion?
- Do they get hung up on small, insignificant details and debate these endlessly?
If you suspect that you are discussing with a sea lion, you should politely end the conversation, and block them if possible.
Or, if you are feeling cheeky; tell them that your going rate for tutoring is €695 per hour and you’d be happy to take them on as a client (once they’ve paid, of course).
Troll 5: The Bully
Cyberbullying is their hobby, and they’re at their happiest when they can make other people miserable. If they can make a teen idol cry, get a politician to quit politics, or push a disabled person to commit suicide, they are deeply satisfied.
Online bullies are often lonely and aggressive individuals. Some of them have dark personality traits such as Machiavellianism, sadism, and psychopathy.
If you come across a troll like this in the comment section, ignore, block, and report them to the website.
How to Handle Online Trolls: General Guidelines
“Don’t feed the trolls”
You have probably come across this piece of advice before, but what does it actually mean? What do trolls ‘eat’?
Trolls feed on attention, and as long as you continue to give it to them, they will keep coming back. Which is why you should follow these 5 rules instead:
- Don’t argue with the troll
Trolls are not the least bit interested in logical arguments and evidence. Arguing with a troll is like playing chess with a seagull: No matter how well you play, the seagull will just eat the pieces, poop on the board, and strut around as if it has won. In other words, it is a complete waste of time. - Ignore the troll
Trolls love attention and will do whatever it takes to get it. Personal attacks, shocking claims, lies – these are just some of the tricks they will use to get it. Realise that the moment you enter into a discussion with a troll, you have already lost, and they’ve gotten exactly what they want. - Block the troll
Depending on which platform you use (Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, etc.), blocking trolls will mean they can no longer see or contact you. - Report the troll
If the troll attacks you or someone else in the comment section, report them to the platform that hosts it. The trolls may come back in another form later, but at least you have made it a little more difficult for them to keep going. - Moderate the comment section
Received a visit from a troll on your blog or website? Delete the comments immediately to protect your visitors. Also, if you choose to hold all new comments for moderation, they can’t slip through without you noticing. When trolls realise they won’t get the attention they crave at your place, they’ll move elsewhere.
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