How Do We Handle The Trolls?

If you’ve spent much time on social media sites, the odds are that you’ve encountered an internet troll. An internet troll is an individual who engages in provocative, offensive, or disruptive behavior online to deliberately upset or harass others. They often post under a pseudonym to mask their identity and may employ various tactics, such as spreading misinformation, using insults, or disrupting conversations. Recent studies show 71% of Americans have had an online experience with a troll.

Alarmingly, that number has doubled in the past 11 years, when only 35% of online users reported trolling behavior. In 2014, several studies looked at the reasons behind trolling behavior and concluded, “Both studies revealed similar patterns of relations between trolling and the Dark Tetrad of personality: trolling correlated positively with sadism, psychopathy, and Machiavellianism”.

In the years since, the rise of the troll has correlated with the rise of narcissistic behavior and cyber-bullying. 

Demographically, we know a lot about internet trolls. They tend to fall within the 25-44 year-old age group. They tend to skew male, 65-35%. They have low self-esteem and tend to be isolated socially and professionally. They seek the attention online that they don’t get in everyday life. In layman’s terms, they are lonely losers with nothing better to do.

Trolls don’t just attack people, they can also attack brands. When a troll takes on your brand, the conventional wisdom has been “don’t engage” and “delete.” If someone makes an outrageous statement on your Facebook page, for example, you should simply ignore it. It’s a safe play. I’ve always had a problem with “conventional wisdom.”

More recent studies have shown that the trolls have fragile egos. As Mom used to say, “They can dish it out, but they can’t take it.”

“Social psychologists Sophie Voisey and Sonja Heintz found that many trolls have a low tolerance for criticism or negative feedback. When they become the target, they often retreat, revealing a thin skin beneath their abrasive exterior.”

I dealt with several online trolls this week, and I took a new approach. It worked wonders. When you stand up to a bully, it can be social media gold.

So the next time you or your organization gets trolled, you’ll know a little bit more about who they are, why they do it, and how to respond. In life and online, it’s best to stand up for yourself and your brand.