Why you should never "feed the trolls."

 photo credit: smosh

Trolling: a person who sows discord on the Internet by starting arguments or upsetting people, by posting inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community (such as a newsgroup, forum, chat room, or blog) with the deliberate intent of provoking readers into an emotional response or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion. --- Via Wikipedia

Most of us have probably encountered a "troll" at least once in our lives. I've encountered many.
Now, I'm not talking about the furry little toy trolls that were popular in the 1990s. I'm talking about human shaped "trolls." Ones who have nothing better to do than to troll someone's social media account(s) and leave scathing remarks for your friends, work colleagues, and family to see.
When you fuel the "troll's fire," they increase their smear campaign against you by commenting on everything you send out. That is the normal "troll" way.
Super-trolls are the ones you need to look out for. These are individuals who message you incessantly, run a smear campaign on your professional social media accounts, and even talk about you on their private accounts. These are folks who do not know you, nor care about your story. If you are acquainted with someone they do not care much for, you are public enemy number one. They devote their time to "trolling" your social media pages. While the initial comments are relatively entertaining, they can get old real fast.

So, how does one rid themselves of "trolls?"

1. Do not engage in a smear campaign against them. Remember that saying, "two wrongs don't make a right?" Be the bigger person and do not engage with the "troll."

2. Block the person. If the troll uses a second account in order to cyber-bully you, report both accounts to the web master.

3. If the cyber-bullying becomes severe, report the account(s) of the "troll," print out their correspondence with you, and contact the authorities. Cyber-bullying is a major issue now, and the authorities do take cyber-bullying very seriously.

Most of the time, "trolling" is easy to combat. It can be as simple as deleting the comment. However, there are those who are relentless. They will not rest until they break you. Remember folks, "trolling" IS a form of cyber-bullying, which is AGAINST THE LAW. Be the bigger person. Remember your rights. Do not give your cyber-bullies power over you.

Now, the reason why I wrote this is because I have a history of dealing with cyber-bullies. If I encounter a "troll" who takes their bullying to a new level, I will not hesitate to contact the authorities.