How to survive online trolls like a star?
By: Nidhi Pathak
Tags: Social Media, Internet Trolls, Bloggertips, Online Trolls, Writers Life

It’s not easy, definitely not. As a digital writer, trolls are the last thing you would like to encounter. You gave your thoughts, energy and time to this written piece. You wrote, re-wrote, edited and proofread…not to see those judgmental comments being passed on.

What generally follows the trolls, is our predictable reaction.

“Come on, what do these illiterate minds know about the subject? They are here only to mock and humiliate others. Silly, dumb and lazy people…”

You shut down the computer and go to sleep — and still find yourself tossing and turning in bed even after an hour.

Facing trolls could be tough, no matter how big your vision is or how irrelevant those comments are.

Being in the writing world for 12 odd years, such things are not new to me either. Trolls are everywhere, however, they are far more uncontrolled in the world of internet. Maybe, because the online world has no boundaries and more so, everyone is entitled to have an opinion.

Online troll — definition

Online trolls or internet trolls are individuals who purposely pass on comments or hateful remarks on trivial issues to spark an argument. Such trolls are pretty common on social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook. Even Youtube trolls are quite common. Besides, such activities are now rapidly increasing on blogs and content sites too.

This article says, “according to Cornell research, what makes a troll is a combination of a bad mood and the bad example of other trolls.”

As an online writer, the internet is your first home. And to stay peacefully in your home, you need to learn to deal with the surrounding negative elements. Running away from online trolls is no option.

Play fair, be prepared for others to play dirty & don’t let them drag you into the mud. — Richard Branson

Here are the seven simple tips to help you survive internet trolls better.

Be prepared

My first online troll hit me hard, largely because I was least expecting it. Until then, the audience seems to like my posts and I never thought I could be receiving flak for my work. Perhaps, that was my biggest mistake! It took me more than 15 days to recover from the trolling shock.

As an online writer, once you hit the submit button, you know that you have opened doors to the unknown. There would be reactions, and not all of them would be necessarily pleasing. The best philosophy is ‘to stay prepared’ that will help you accept the outcome with ease.

Don’t react

That feeling of disappointment and anger is but natural. No one likes being trolled, especially when you slogged through producing a good piece (an average blog post takes 3.5 hours to write).

However, responding to trolls with the same feeling of anger and hatred would give them an easy win. Most trolls are there to harass people, make them feel bad without a valid reason, and eventually attract attention.

Ignoring such online bullies is the best response. Trolls intentionally spread unpleasantness and fury, and fade away if they fail to instigate similar reaction.

But yes, ignoring trolls may not always be a great way. Sometimes, it is important to respond wisely. It’s a good idea to gather relevant facts to support your claims. Several writers choose wit and humor when responding to trolls. Moderating comments is again a good strategy.

Alternatively, you can also block the trolls. Easy, right?

Whatever you decide, let it not drag on for too long and deviate you from your work plan. After all, your writing is what matters in the end.

Accept constructive criticism

This is rather important and can help you immensely. Not all negative comments are trolls. Some of them might actually give good feedback. As a creative person, it is important that we remain open to constructive criticism — it goes a long way in helping us improve our craft. Acknowledge such people who highlight the gaps in your work. You may also strike conversations with them to make your content more meaningful. This is a great engagement strategy and may win you loyal audience for a lifetime.

Any step, taken with honesty will yield great results.

Take a break

Unfortunately, trolls have an invisible power to break you down. It can even lead to creative paralysis for many. So why not take a good break? Go for a movie or dinner party with your friends. Even a nice evening on the beach is a great idea. Yes, the internet could be your home; but taking a break would help you come back even stronger.

Report extremes

It is true that all trolls cannot be handled by the above methods. Sometimes, trolls cross their limits and can target the writer personally — even suggesting racial or sexual discrimination in some cases. All this can adversely affect your emotional health and even your online reputation as a writer. That is the time when reporting unwanted behavior is the last resort. Thankfully, most reputed social sites have stringent rules against offensive posts and negative comments.

If you run a writer’s blog or website, ensure that you have a clear cut and strict policy to discourage trolling. You can take clues from some of the reputed sites such as HuffPost or Copyblogger.

Also, if resources permit, do take an expert opinion for any legal action against any notorious element.

Keep writing

Receiving comments, even if they are bad, means that people read what you write. Isn’t that great news? Imagine there are billions of online posts being circulated but these people took time to go through your work. There must be something that caught their attention — may be the headline or the pullout quote.

Congratulate yourself, my friend. You have a spark.

And you want this spark to remain alive forever. Don’t let a few bad reactions stop you from speaking your mind, producing great work and making a difference in others’ lives. Writing is no child’s play, after all.

Remember, trolls are not the end to your dreams

You can’t stop them. And why do you need to? Psychologists found the internet trolls as “narcissistic, psychopathic, and sadistic”. Sure, they don’t deserve your attention.

After all, trolls arrived because you did something different. As long as you are proud of your work, don’t let any random intruder spoil the peace of your mind.

You are the best judge for your actions. Honest efforts and clear intention will define you as a writer and as a brand.

I want to sing like the birds sing, Not worrying about who hears or what they think. — Rumi

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