The online world can be toxic. While many of us actively try to make the internet a fun, informative and safe place for everyone to enjoy, there are plenty of bad actors on the internet who actively try to spread misinformation and make life hard for people who they deem to be âdifferent.â
The popular way to deal with trolls is to ignore them. âDonât feed the trollsâ people suggest. I suggest that we do feed the trolls and give them more than they can chew. There are a few popular trolling tactics.
One thing trolls do is they mischaracterize your argument to create an argument that theyâre comfortable with that tends to have nothing to do with whatever youâre trying to convey. DO NOT ALLOW THEM TO DO THIS! When a troll ignores your argument and makes up your argument to fit their needs, take a step back and reiterate your original argument and insist that they respond to that before you move any further. If youâve found that youâre several comments deep before you realized theyâve done this, thatâs okay. Repeat back each point that was made that lead you down the rhetorical path youâre on to get back to YOUR argument instead of theirs.
Another troll tactic is called âsealioning.â Sealinoning is when your argument opponent demands evidence for your argument under the pretense of good faith but ignores every piece of evidence you provide. Again, when they do this, they tend to steer the argument where they want it to go so theyâre more comfortable. When you realize theyâre doing this, point it out and ask why they havenât acknowledged the evidence you provided that they previously demanded.
I want to point out one more tactic, which is the vale of civility. The goal of the troll is to make you angry and talk you into a rhetorical corner so they can have their laughs and feel superior. Many people think that we should be taking the high road and never insult our opponent. I do not believe this is the correct course of action. This is the internet and it can be difficult enough to tell when someone youâre speaking with is being genuine. When itâs clear that your opponent is simply trolling and has no real interest in your argument, donât hesitate to tell them to go fuck themselves and then on only respond with bad language and insults. They usually will try even harder to pretend that theyâre interested in a debate, but I promise you that they are not. I would suggest giving them a chance, maybe a few back and fourths to be sure that theyâre really trolling. But once itâs apparent, let them have it and donât hold back.
Iâve found that these trolling counter measures can be quite effective in online discourse. If you deploy them correctly, you can embarrass your troll while maybe imparting some real knowledge in the thread for other people to absorb. One thing I like about arguing with trolls is that it helps me dissect my beliefs deeper than I had before and it allows me to share my thoughts more clearly. It seems to help observers to learn the lesson youâre attempting to convey. I hope these suggestions help.