How to Not Become a Victim of an Internet Troll (Extra blog)

"Trolling" is the art of pranking causing others annoyance for ones enjoyment.  Internet trolls have existed for as long as the internet has.   Trolling has taken over all types of webpages, social media, video games and virtual worlds.  Trolls do anything from commenting on posts to irk users, to preventing others from playing how they usually play.  Many players see these trolls as real people who have it out for them one reason or another, and they go along with the pointless bigotry and allow themselves to become victims.  I am here to tell you how to not fall victim to these trolling menace!

A popular saying in the trolling community

1.  Take a step back and ask yourself "why?"

You must realize that trolling is for the pure pleasure of the trolls and no one else.  Your annoyance, displeasure and resentment incites laughter within them.  Once you realize that, you will understand that no matter how racist, sexist, homophobic or ridiculous the comments are, they actually don't mean them and are just doing it to get a reaction from you.  

2.  They do not care

It is extremely hard to turn the other cheek in a virtual world, but once you realize that the trolls are attacking the things that you care about is because they themselves do not care at all.  If they cared they would not become trolls in the first place.  They know, just by the way you comment or play, that you care, and if you defend yourself heavily, you have already fallen a victim.  

3.  Grief-play is real

Once I was playing Call of Duty with some of my online friends.  We had mics and it seemed like no one else in the match did either.  A player from our team immediately ran in my direction and proceeded to stand in front of me and repeated crouch.  He blocked m camera.  I would try my best to run from him, but whenever I was about to shoot someone he would block me and we both would end up dying.  I kept telling them to stop, especially since he didn't do it to anyone else, but he kept going and cost us the match.  My friends laughed because they couldn't understand why it was happening to me.  Trolls are willing to throw matches and troll at the expense of a match or game.  Don't underestimate their tactics or reasons.  They do it just for the laughs.  

4.  They will move on

As 4chan users put it, trolling is for the lulz.  There is no other explanation necessary for the trolling behavior other than for laughs.  If you do not feed their laughs they will move on to a funnier, or more vulnerable, target.  In the film, We are Legion: The Story of Hacktivists, trolling was describes as a funny pastime that made some people come to life on the virtual world.  If they want laughs, then the simple solution is to not give it to them.  Completely ignoring a troll gives them no power and is no fun for them, and they will look elsewhere.

If you keep these four things in mind the next time you notice someone saying harsh things, do not become a victim!