One of the main types of cyberbullying is trolling. Everyday many people are trolled and some of them get real enough that it leads towards serious consequences. Most of the online trolls are made on social media applications which affect people in real life.
That is why it is necessary to know what trolling is and how important it is for parents to know about its impacts, preventions and interventions.
What is Trolling?
Trolling is the act of purposefully stimulating or harassing other people online. It includes posting insulting, offensive, or provoking content with the intent of eliciting intense feelings or disrupting social networks.
Individuals or groups are frequently targeted by trolls based on their beliefs, appearance, or other personal characteristics.
Trolling can occur on a variety of platforms, including social media, forums, and comment sections.
Stats Related to Trolling
According to recent studies of Pew Research Centre, 41% of Americans over the age of 18 have encountered some form of digital harassment, and the majority consider it a ‘major problem.’ In case of trolling specifically, 86% of people have heard of trolling and 18% are being trolled online.
Impacts of Trolling
Trolling is entertaining for those who troll others but not for the victims. They suffer the following issues;
Psychological issues
Depression and Anxiety
Due to constant trolling and negative interaction people get depressed and feel blue mostly.This depression can be moderate and temporary, or severe and chronic.
Some people are only affected by depression once, while others may be affected multiple times.Suicide can result from depression, but it is preventable with the right support.
Low Self-Esteem
People have low self-esteem and don’t feel confident about doing anything. They frequently feel inept, unloved, or inadequate. People who have low self-esteem are constantly afraid of making mistakes or disappointing others.
Social Isolation
Relationship Damage
Due to trolling social relations get damaged. Victims withdraw themselves from society and stay away from others on social media platforms as well in real life.
Impacts on productivity
Interruption in the work
Trolling may turn into an interruption in the workplace, impacting efficiency and the general atmosphere at work.
Reduced Creativity
Constant encounters with trolling can hinder innovation and imaginative thinking by making people more risk averse.
Sucide caused by Online Trolling
A 16 years old girl attempted suicide due to online trolling. She hanged herself and died within 5 days of struggle in the hospital. She was bullied being gay.
Preventions from Trolling
Preventions from something is better than facing painful consequences. Here are some preventions from trolling;
Don’t Trust Quickly
Tweens and teens trust people quickly and share everything with them that ends in making fun. Online predators use that information to troll the kids and teens just for fun. So make sure your kids or teens are talking to a safe person.
Don’t Share Your Information
When kids are young they love bragging about everything which makes them superior. Because of that they sometimes over speak and over share their data including images, messages, videos. The predators then troll them for this.Thus make sure your kids don’t share their personal information, images or videos to avoid trolling.
Use Parental Controls
Parental control softwares are the most used solution. These applications keep you up to date about your kids’ online activities. This check can help save you from trolling and other online predation.
Even after following the precautions if your kids are exposed to some troll then you must go for the interventions.
Interventions of Trolling
Block and report
Whoever is trolling your kids online just block their profile or report them. This is how your kids won’t have to see that trolling content.
Involve Cyber Security
The US has a specific department CISA that deals with all the cyber crime related issues. Parents should contact them regarding trolling if the reporting and blocking doesn’t work.
Conclusion
The act of trolling requires a multifaceted approach that includes measures to avoid it, learning, building communities, and enabling interventions.
To reduce the negative impact of trolling, it is critical to promote a culture of kindness and compassion online.
