How to Deal with Social Media Trolls: 13 Effective Ways

Learn how to deal with social media trolls effectively and protect your online presence. This comprehensive article presents 13 proven strategies to handle online harassment and maintain your mental well-being. Explore practical tips to silence the snitches and create a more positive social media experience.

The Rise of Social Media Trolling

In this interconnected world, a majority of the population has a social media presence and loves sharing the nitty-gritty of life. The good, the bad, the important, the fun, and all the mundane parts of life. There can be a variety of reasons why people share, what they share on social media but one thing that everyone is looking for is attention, some form of adulation, acknowledgment, and love. This expectation is often accompanied by fear of being ignored, overlooked, or worse derided. Yes! Deride which is basically mocking, insulting, ridiculing, and so on. People who typically indulge in such behavior on social media are referred to as Trolls on social media or online communities. But why would people react in such a way to a plain regular social media post? Well, not all posts are plain, some are actually asking for such retorts.

However, more often than not a large amount of social media posts encounter some unwarranted responses by trolls. Whether it is an individual, a business, or an influencer all get affected by these vile and unwanted responses. Let’s face it as long as the social media is there, so will the trolls. The only solution to this mess is to learn how to deal with social media trolls. This article will provide you with some useful tips to deal with social media trolls and maintain your mental well-being. The methods are not limited to social media trolling but also cover general internet behavior, online harassment, and cyberbullying.

Who is a Social Media Troll?

Honestly, it can be just about anyone. The richest, the most educated, the poor, the jealous teenager, the retired old man, a rival, a neighbor, and the list just goes on. At times the needless reactions come from the most unexpected corner and simply destroy your mental framework to pieces. Many times like a mob mentality, the attack gains momentum, snowballs, and develops into mass trolling. That is not all businesses, political parties, film production companies, PR agencies, and influencers employ digital marketing agencies to promote them online and employ trolling tactics to intimidate and discredit all of their critics. Let’s take a look at the typical mindsets of trolls.

Types of Trolls

Jealous Trolls

People who are jealous of you, hate you, or envy you because you are better than them and they cannot match your standards. It can be anything, your success, your wealth, your personality, your education, or just that you are happier than they are. Many people just cannot accept that others are better than them, sometimes it is even perceived, and use trolling as their medium to express their own insecurities.

Anonymous Trolls

Anonymity is a big power online, and most take advantage of their anonymity to attack slyly. Just say anything and get away with it. These trolls are the most brazen and unashamed. They are also the majority of trolls, using anonymous fake identities and displaying their wicked side online.

Paid Trolls

These are mostly used for professional rivalries, like in sports, cinema, business, and politics. Many digital marketing agencies hire or have agreements with large groups of people to work for them for a fee. Many times fan bases too haggle with each other to prove and establish the superiority of their idol, and the rivals who call themselves the army of their star with a hashtag troll each other relentlessly.

Mindless Trolls

Some trolls just do not know any better, they think it is cool or funny to make fun of others, it is pure gimmickry, and they just want to stand out even if it means they behave in a lowly manner.

These are not all there are many other types as well, moral police trolls, hypocrites, people who just can’t agree with another viewpoint, hatemongers, bigots, and many more. There is also a characteristic way the trolls usually behave. Let us understand the psychology of a troll.

The Tactics of Trolls: Recognizing the Various Forms of Trolling

Insults: Trolls often resort to verbal abuse using insulting language and personal attacks to belittle and provoke their targets.

Shaming: They try to humiliate their prey by saying mean and hurtful things, and criticizing their actions, appearance, or intelligence to make them feel embarrassed or ashamed.

Fake information: Sometimes trolls share fake information, more like a rumor to hurt or tarnish an individual’s image or create some controversy.

Bigotry: Trolls who cannot stand any other viewpoint apart from their own, often resort to targeting others with hateful and discriminatory remarks regarding their race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation, looking to agitate emotions and escalate conflict.

Bullying: Trolls relentlessly resort to extreme online harassment. Often trying to force and feign bogus authority on certain issues. It can lead to severe mental health problems for the victims.

Copycats: Copycat trolls simply copy the insensitive behaviors they watch online, spreading a series of harassment and viciousness by simply mimicking others, and not fully understanding the effects their actions will have on others.

The Impact of Social Media Trolling

The effects of social media trolling can be extremely detrimental to the mental well-being of the victims. The trolling may lead to feelings of stress, anxiety, depression, sleep disorder, and low self-esteem. The targeted individuals may start withdrawing from social media fearing shame, or further harassment. This may lead to complete isolation from social media and other online activities. If they do not get proper support, they may feel lonely and feel abandoned causing further emotional distress and psychological trauma. If mental health issues caused by trolling like stress are not managed effectively, it can further catapult into physical ailments like high blood pressure, increased heart rate, and low immune system.

Many times trolling is done intentionally to tarnish the image of a high-profile individual or a business. In such cases, immense damage can be caused to the reputation and credibility of that individual or business, badly affecting their personal and professional lives. The constant existence and Continuous exposure to such negative behavior can spoil the entire social media environment and online atmosphere, creating a deep aversion to social media, even necessary online activities, and a decrease in overall well-being.

The general feeling is it would be great if everybody maintained a cordial atmosphere online and did not indulge in negative activities like trolling. However, as in the real world even in the vast space of the internet, everyone is bound to encounter some untoward experiences like social media trolls and it is important that we appropriately know how to deal with social media trolls and deal with them to maintain our own inner peace. There is no single solution to deal with social media trolls, you will need to use different methods or a mix of techniques to properly handle these trolls. A few important ways to manage social media trolls are given below. Read on and discover practical tips on how to deal with social media trolls.

Silence the Snitches: 13 Strategies on How to Deal with Social Media Trolls

Ignore the Trolls

You know what trolls hate the most, being ignored. They troll because they want your attention, so deny them that pleasure by simply ignoring them, not even acknowledging their presence, and making them feel too unimportant in your life to even deserve a reply. This will surely disappoint them, probably a bit embarrass them, and most likely leave them no further room for interaction. There is a saying that an elephant doesn’t care for the barking dogs, be the elephant, and let the dogs just bark, and you keep on continuing with your work. Trolls are attention seekers and thrive on responses, so ignore them to avoid encouraging them for further dialogues. However, it is not always possible, so use your better judgment while ignoring trolls, and definitely do not ignore abusive behavior.        

Block, or Mute

If ignoring doesn’t work and the trolling still persists, consider blocking or muting them. It will immediately cut their access to your posts, they will neither be able to access your posts nor interact with you further. Even if the troll tries to come back by creating another fake account, block them again, rendering them no option but to stay away from your account.  

Report Abusive Behavior

If a troll crosses the line, and is plain abusive, threatening, or harassing in any way, then you must report the troll. Such behavior is not acceptable and must not be disregarded. Almost all social media platforms have tools and mechanisms in place for reporting abuse, or harassment. They have clear terms and conditions which do not tolerate such behavior. After a review, these troll accounts are most likely punished by a temporary ban or deletion of the account.

Be the Better Person

All trolls are not very vile, some just don’t know any better. They may just be frustrated, angry, arrogant, jealous, want to sound cool, or just want to take their own resentment out somewhere. If you happen to spot such a situation, start by trying to be kind. Respond by being a better person politely, trust me, they start feeling guilty and realize their mistake. I recently encountered a person who came across as a little mean at the beginning, but I simply thanked him for his response and said that I understood his viewpoint. Later, that person actually came around and offered to help me, and gave me some very sound advice, which I had solicited. To understand better, take a look at the examples below:   

Example 1

Troll: “You’re terrible at this. Why don’t you just give up?”

Response: “I appreciate your feedback, and I’ll definitely keep working to improve. Constructive criticism is always welcome, thank you.”    

Example 2

Troll: “You’re so dumb, I can’t believe you actually believe that.”

Response: “Aww! Guess who didn’t get his/her daily cup of coffee and a hug today!” Also, thank you for sharing your perspective. I appreciate that. 

Troll Back The Troll

At times, to make trolls understand, you need to speak back in their language.You cannot always be nice, being polite or kind does not always work. So if you are up to it, make a comeback with a quick-witted, funny, or sarcastic retort. By defeating them in their own game, the trolls will be put in their place and will get a clear message, that you will not take it lying low. This will most likely deter them from any further interactions. However, one needs to tread with caution here, because if your comeback isn’t clever and just sounds like more trolling, it might not go over well. But if you’re bold enough to respond with funny and teasing comments, you could be the gainer here. Take a look at the following example to understand better:

Example 3

Troll: “That’s one of the dumbest things I’ve ever heard.”

Response: “If I wanted to hear from an expert on dumb things, you would be the first genius I would consult!”

Counter with Facts

If a troll is spreading a rumor or false pieces of information about you, then it needs to be countered with facts, lest your silence will be deemed as acceptance. Respond promptly and professionally, the troll will be diffused the moment the troll’s claim is disproved and the bluff is caught. This is particularly, more important for individuals who are popular influencers, celebs, and businesses, as it can negatively affect their image or brand. 

Do Not be Defensive or Emotional

You do not owe any explanation to trolls, so never respond to them with emotionally defensive or charged messages. That is exactly what a troll is looking for and it will further encourage trolling behaviors. Limit yourself to responding solely with facts, humor, or sarcasm, if necessary.

Establish Clear Guidelines

Put a strict warning out there, if required with clear guidelines in place. Every social media platform has its guidelines, however, at times they are not enough, and also, they are lenient in dealing with offenders, as it hurts their business. So you need to put out there a clear warning of your own, stating that action will be taken against people who do not follow the guidelines or cross the line. Again, it is more important for popular individuals and businesses.

Avoid Feeding Trolls

If you want to make social media a safe harmonious place, the onus is much on you. Use social media judiciously, excess of anything is bad, same goes for social media. While posting something or responding to someone, be respectful and do not post anything inflammatory or disrespectful to any person, religion, place, or anything, that is bound to hurt some and warrant an agitated response.  While you are entitled to your beliefs and viewpoints, freedom of expression must be exercised with caution by not hurting anyone’s feelings or stirring up mob emotions. If everyone follows this, there will be a better social media environment for all and fewer troll troubles.

Educate Yourself

Social media apps and platforms, keep on evolving and updating regularly, they keep on changing with the technology upgrades, and as per the changing trends. Social media is a powerful tool and you should learn to leverage it to your advantage. See how it can be helpful for your education, work, recreation, and general networking. Know which platform is used for what, like LinkedIn is used for working professionals, youngsters prefer using TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat, from Facebook the original social media giant is used more for promotions and marketing nowadays, and X is the place for politics, news, and journalism. Reddit and Quora are discussion forums on a variety of useful and inane topics. Knowing how to use all these platforms, will help in navigating them better and also avoid or handle trolls better. 

Exercise Caution

Like in real-life social scenarios, be alert and cautious in all your online interactions, especially on social media platforms. Never share any personal information or pictures with strangers, never trust unknown persons easily, and do not believe everything you see on social media, use your better judgment and cross check verify when in doubt. Social media is filled with anonymous stalkers, be cautious of them, they may also be some you know in real life. Avoid opening images, videos, and links from unknown sources. These simple steps will help you avoid those anonymous trolls always lurking around.     

Seek Support

Bad online experiences can have a detrimental effect on your mental well-being. If some troll does manage to hurt your vulnerable spots and you are feeling depressed or stressed due to the same. Do not ignore the same and try to manage stress yourself using effective stress management techniques. If the problem still persists, do not shy away from seeking help from a mental health professional like a counseling psychologist.   

Report to Cybercrime Authorities

when a troll takes things too far, like continuous harassment, stalking 24/7, threats, or through improper indecent messages, then it is not trolling anymore. The person or account details should be immediately reported to the cybercrime authorities for proper action to be taken against the perpetrator. There are clear laws and mechanisms to address these types of criminal activities. You need to gather some evidence by taking screenshots or screen recordings of the interactions. You need to file a complaint at a Cyber Crime Police Stations or file an online complaint at www.cybercrime.gov.in, submit the evidence collected, and if necessary involve more authorities or take legal action. Also, there are many Internet Ethics & Digital Wellbeing Support Groups that can be approached, such as Cyber Jagruthi, Cyber Girl, ISEA, a division of CDAC, and many other organizations that are run by volunteers to fight online cyberbullying and harassment.

Conclusion

According to the latest statistics more than half of the global population, about 62.3%, is presently active on various social media platforms. (Source: Kepios Analysis) This amounts to an astonishing 5.04 billion individuals worldwide.  From January 2023 to January 2024, an additional 266 million users have joined the online social media space, with a YOY growth of 8%. The average daily usage time on various social media platforms is approximately 2 hours and 23 minutes, emphasizing how these mediums have become an important mode of modern communication and interaction.

The time when you could choose not to be on any social media platform is long gone, today not only friends and family but all educational institutes, government organizations, businesses, etc., communicate and pass on important information through social media and make it a must for everyone to have a presence there.

The invasive nature of the internet including social media calls for everyone to not only be mindful of their own actions out there but also be watchful and wary of the many untoward events that take place there every day. It is more relevant for the younger lot, who are constantly hooked to some form of social media and find themselves inept in properly responding to social media trolls. The problem of cyberbullying and online trolling isn’t going anywhere soon, but the methods to handle social media trolls given in this article will be useful to tackle this annoyance in a better way.

Remember there is a difference between constructive criticism, a difference of opinion, and a troll. Learn to differentiate between them, take constructive criticism in your stride, and agree to disagree with others’ perspectives. Respond appropriately and know how to deal with social media trolls. Let us all be respectful, and encourage people to be nice online. So that we can reduce the bad impacts of social media trolling. Let us all make the internet a safer place for everyone. Social media is a powerful tool, it needs to be a more tolerant and inclusive space, to be beneficial for everyone.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q 1. What is the psychology of the Internet troll?

Social media trolls are generally, people who suffer from low esteem, lack social communication skills, and have behavioral issues. They act on impulse, contentious, and remorseless. They are often manipulative, lack empathy, mean, and vindictive. At times individuals with similar mindsets or just to be a part of the dominant group, join in. These people are easily influenced by the actions or opinions of others and abandon their own reasoning. This is popularly known as mob mentality. 

Q 2. Do trolls have low self-esteem?

Numerous psychological studies believe that trolling behavior commonly stems from low self-esteem, low self-worth, and a high fear of missing out (FOMO). These people generally behave awkwardly in real-life social situations.

Q 3. How do you respond to a social media troll?

There is no single method of responding or know ecatly as to how to deal with social media trolls. It depends on the situation and your choice of retort, based on your assessment. You can simply ignore, block or report, and even respond back with facts or even troll back with a savage reply. Refer to this article for more, as it has dealt with this subject in detail.

Q 4. Why is it difficult to ignore a troll?

The main motive of a troll is to seek your attention. To achieve this the troll Is usually very mean, and tries to provoke you with his harsh and spiteful language. This becomes very difficult to ignore, as it gets into your mind and keeps irritating you. From inside you feel that you do not deserve this behavior and seek justice and redemption.

Q 5. What are the effects of social media trolling?

Social media trolling has very detrimental effects on the mental health of the victim. The victim can suffer from severe mental health concerns such as anxiety, stress, depression, and self-esteem issues. These mental health issues must not be ignored by the sufferer and addressed immediately for their overall well-being.