Most of our lives are online, and people who work remotely may be subjected to stress and harassment, including internet trolling. Let’s examine this phenomenon and learn how to protect ourselves. Young people, especially, worryingly spend a lot of time on forums, chat rooms, and online community discussions. They interact with strangers they know nothing about and sometimes fall prey to trolling. Let’s learn more about internet trolling in this blog and tips on how to deal with this.
What is a Troll?
Troll is traditionally used to denote monsters in folklore stories. These monsters prey on travellers and hide to attack them.In modern usage, internet trolling denotes who deliberately puts in comments and posts to draw a person to respond emotionally. It is like fishing for an emotional response and deliberate provocation. Trolling happens on social media, forums, and in places where chats take place. Sometimes, it is very subtle, and the attacked person is confused and feels harassed. People who fall into the bait of trolling may suffer mental health consequences of the harassment. They may lose their sleep, get anxious, stressed and suicidal. They may present with depression and anxiety as a result. Hence, it is essential to learn about what trolling is, recognise trolling and deal with it.
People who engage in trolling are usually amused by the attention, which may provoke them more. Some characteristics of Internet Trolling are typical. They seem to get pleasure from inciting pain and agony. These traits may correlate with psychopathy and other personality issues. Additionally, these people think they may get away with it because they are behind an anonymous identity. The people who troll others may suffer from many psychological issues, including personality disorders.
Let’s examine some strategies for dealing with internet trolling. Self-care is paramount. It involves maintaining emotional boundaries and staying safe. Your utmost priority is your mental and emotional wellness. The first step in protecting yourself from this form of harassment is to be aware of and recognise trolling.Internet trolling is a bait. You do not have to turn up to every bait or respond, however provocative it may be. Ignore, block, report the person to cybercrime and move on.
Secondly, understanding why someone is trolling you will help you ignore them. Sometimes, despite ignoring the trolls,they may upset you mentally. You must be mindful of the forums and conversations you engage in and take a break from them if possible. Do not ever get disheartened. This is not a personal attack but an expression of the bully’s personality. If trolling continues, you must block and report the person trolling to the cyber police. If you are the victim of this type of harassment, seek emotional support. If you start feeling panicky or fearful, ask your friend for help. Also, look out for family and friends who may suffer from the consequences of internet trolling. As technology improves, so do the unique problems. As we get more aware of this, we can combat these issues better.
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