Why We Should Feed the Trolls

For those of us who spend a lot of time on the Internet, running across trolls or flamers is a regular occurrence. It's become one of those things that we have come to expect, but it does seem like a blight on all that is positive and nurturing about online cultures. So when does reasonable dissent and discussion become trolling? When the person behind the keyboard doesn't care whose feelings he or she hurts. In fact, they seem to get some sort of satisfaction from attacking or making fun of people for their ideas. This does not allow positive Internet culture to thrive.

In  Internet slang, a troll is 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 with the deliberate intent of provoking readers into an  emotional response or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion, often for their own amusement. - Wikipedia

Some people don't like the word 'troll', so I am using it somewhat loosely here to describe someone who engages in trolling, harassment, or otherwise bullying behavior over time. What defines these behaviors to me is the emotional undercurrent of discord and personal attacks. Trolls like to make people feel bad, and will use almost any means to skew and distort what is actually factual. It's fundamentally about hate culture fueled by individual acts that are far from altruistic.

Of all personality measures, sadism showed the most robust associations with trolling and, importantly, the relationship was specific to trolling behavior. - Erin E. Buckels

We're told to ignore trolls, to not engage them. I'd like to suggest that merely trying to censor, ban, or ignore them is not the best way to deal with Internet trolls. For one thing, leaving trolls to their agendas and not even trying to say, hey, that's not okay, makes others feel like those behaviors are acceptable. It isn't just about having dissenting opinions, it's about wanting to hurt those who don't agree with them.

The thing about those who troll or flame is that it can be difficult to have rational discourse with them. Once they have exhausted the opinions they feel compelled to share, they frequently resort to ad hominem attacks in an attempt to discredit the subject of their wrath. This does not always come from people who explicitly identify as trolls. Sometimes it's otherwise well-meaning people who are willing to cross the line between discourse and debate into personal attacks. To me, this is a problem in how we choose to disagree as a culture. Some organizations (like Popular Science) even go so far as to eliminate their comments sections entirely, which I find very sad.

So why even try to engage with people who don't seem to value true discourse? I don't delude myself that I can change a troll's mind, but I do believe I can contribute to educating those who observe these exchanges, I think it's important to do so. Trolls like to have the last word, and so do I. In a recent exchange here on LinkedIn, I was supporting the idea of gender fluidity and I revealed that I have a kid who considers themselves gender-fluid. Throughout the course of the exchange, I was accused of influencing my kid's point-of-view (I didn't) and was essentially told I am a bad parent (I'm not) for supporting such 'delusions'. My kid is subconsciously picking up on my feminist leanings. I have created this confusion, which was never a problem before a decade ago. There's a right way to raise kids and a wrong way. My response: rational explanations and scientific data even though I am, frankly, hurt by the accusations.

The thing is that I know a lot more about this topic than the dissenters do. It is also my proclivity to respond (and even overwhelm) with evidence. Everyone has the right to an opinion, but I don't think it's right to vehemently support a point of view when all of the evidence hasn't been considered. Trolls can be called out this way, and the Internet's memory contains a more balanced debate with both dissenting and supportive points-of-view.

Censoring Trolls

A lot of sites deal with trolls by moderating or censoring their content. In the case of hate speech, explicit bullying, threats, vandalism, or doxxing (revealing personal info), I think this is the right approach. Otherwise, I support the idea that discordant voices should be balanced, not extinguished. For one thing, this is an important aspect of free speech, which I value. My experience is that they will stop once they are unable to adequately support their stance or once they realize they aren't getting the emotional reaction they crave. When those exchanges are left online, they make it clear that not everyone supports hate, intolerance, and vitriol. As a culture, it's important for us to do this, to hold those accountable who refuse to respect their fellow Internet citizens.

Banning Harassers

Banned trolls start new accounts and find new ways to harass, but this is an option. The thing about banning known trolls, however, is that when they spring up again, no one knows that they have previously engaged in trolling behavior. The real issue is one of culture. Even when trolls use their real names (like the following high-profile case), there is a complicity when we follow the rule not to engage. We need to respond, as a group, and must repeatedly say that these sorts of behaviors are not acceptable and the worldview presented isn't supported by everyone.

Banning Yiannopoulos is unlikely to change anything. (For starters, harassers can and do create new accounts faster than Twitter can.) The real problem is cultural messaging that normalized hateful speech on public platforms and lets Jones’s harassers think nothing of tweeting vitriol under their real names. - Washington Post

Standing Up to Trolls

I believe that by trying to ignore transgressive behavior, we do the Internet a disservice. It can be emotionally painful and exhausting, but responding rationally and with evidence tells the troll and everyone watching that there are myriad sides to every topic. Having a strongly-stated belief or opinion doesn't make something true, either. Here is some good advice from Whitson Gordan on how to engage trolls in a way that defuses their efforts:

I try to keep my interactions with dissenters in the intellectual realm, sticking to the ideas rather than responding to personal attacks (which is counter to what they are trying to do), and I endeavor to not get too angry. That is what feeds trolls negatively, but it's not the only way to deal with them. Humor, or making light of the debate, is another way to shift power away from the troll. They want attention, they want to be taken seriously, and they want to upset people. The key is to not let them upset you, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't respond at all.

Rachel Wisuri states on  Social Media Examiner, humor is one of the best ways to handle trolls. Wisuri uses Sainsbury’s, a grocery chain in the United Kingdom as an example of using humor to battle trolls after an unsatisfied customer reported that they had purchased chicken that tasted “like it was beaten to death by Hulk Hogan.” The brand replied by using a metaphor, as well as an apology. This was effective because the brand engaged the unhappy customer in a lighthearted manner. As Rachel states, “When you make light of a troll’s tweet, you simultaneously acknowledge and defuse the situation.”

Supporting Troll Victims

This is very important. It might seem like a waste of time, but when reasoned voices pitch in, trolling and online bullying victims feel supported. It can be so, so frustrating to be in an exchange with trolls without others expressing their solidarity. Women and other marginalized groups are frequently targeted, and sometimes this bullying results in very serious consequences (anxiety, depression, suicide). This can be very traumatic for victims, who often feel unsupported, since 60% of Internet users ignore trolling as a matter of course.

A Pew Research Center survey published two years ago found that 70% of 18-to-24-year-olds who use the Internet had experienced harassment, and 26% of women that age said they’d been stalked online. - Time Magazine

In short, don't be afraid to engage those who disagree with you, especially if it is a topic you feel passionately about. The Internet is all about voices, and our silence on difficult and misunderstood topics does not help evolve our thinking as a culture. Trolls and online bullies can make people feel awful, and I think it's important that we make a stand in solidarity with others who value truth.

If you have a loyal online community you may not have to worry much about trolls since the members will monitor themselves. Furthermore, when a troll does appear, your community may take matters into their own hands and drive of the trolls themselves. - Forbes

I understand that not everyone is a social activist (or what my kid calls a 'social justice warrior') like I am, but every little bit of levity counts. It might not be how you choose to spend your time online, but I believe every like, upvote, and comment matters. We vote with our clicks and our participation and taking that bit of time to promote positivity on a consistent basis can make a difference. If enough of us do it, that is.

These are mostly normal people who do things that seem fun at the time that have huge implications. You want to say this is the bad guys, but it’s a problem of us. - Time

What is your take on how best to deal with bad behavior online? Are you willing to chime in positively when you see this sort of thing happening? I feel like, otherwise, we are giving consent on a de facto basis, which perpetuates hate and bullying culture online. On the other hand, if we feed trolls with what they are not looking for, we undermine their self-authorized behavior. What do you think?

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