While there are plenty of things to appreciate about the Internet and social media, there are also things about these platforms that can be very disruptive. One of the biggest things that can cause people and business stress online is trolls.
If you’re unfamiliar with what an Internet troll is, it’s someone who interacts with people or businesses online in the hopes of getting a rise out of them. Unfortunately, it can sometimes be hard to identify when someone is a troll and when someone is just being mean. So to better help you in making this distinction, especially for those who may be older and may not have a lot of experience on social media due to accessibility in assisted living facilities and other such places, here are three tips for recognizing trolls online.
They Don’t Seem Like A Real Person
While some real people who have real accounts on social media platforms will act like trolls, the more malicious online trolls tend to really try to hide themselves from the people that they’re trying to interact with.
One way that they do this is by creating social media accounts and profiles that don’t show who they really are. So if you see an extremely rude or incendiary comment from someone online, before you respond, take a look at their profile to see if they appear to be a real person. Some signs that they aren’t is that they don’t use their name in their username or that they don’t have a real picture attached to their profile.
They Comment On Everything
Another sign that you’re dealing with a troll online is if they seem to be commenting on everything that’s being posted online. This could include posting on all kinds of posts by other people or replying to multiple comments on the same post.
Usually, if someone feels impressed to comment on something online, they’ll share their opinion and then move on with their lives. But if someone is trying to troll people, they won’t allow any exchange to stop until they feel like they’ve gotten the reaction they wanted from the people they were interacting with—and these interactions usually devolve rather quickly.
They Attack People Personally
When someone is trying to troll people, they will usually go straight for the jugular, meaning that they will resort to all kinds of name-calling, assumption-making, and personal attacks. And while these things can be jarring to read from a perfect stranger online, try to keep in mind that this person isn’t actually making a judgment call about you. Rather, they are just trying to get attention for themselves and rile people up.
If you’ve had some uncomfortable interactions with people online, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you sniff out the trolls from the genuine users of social media platforms.
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